Bomet County Government has enrolled an additional 250 needy students for full scholarship worth Sh. 18million.
The yearly programme that was initiated in 2018 by Governor Professor Hillary Barchok and is meant to benefit the most needy students who performed well in national examinations.
While flagging off this the 2023 cohorts, 10 pupils from each of the 25 wards in the County, Professor Barchok said there were many more needy students but that the final list arrived at as beneficiaries are the most needy of all.
He said this as he handed over a Sh 96 million cheque to pay for continuing students under the same scholarship.
Barchok said the scholarship was his own initiative that is meant to give equal opportunity to the less fortunate but bright students in the society.
“We had pegged cut off marks at 350 but as time went by we realized that sometimes the needy students were so hard pressed with life challenges that attaining such marks could be unachievable,” he said.
“That is why we have relaxed the conditions so as to rope in the most vulnerable pupils especially those with disabilities and those who are total orphans.”
The county boss however urged the beneficiaries to work hard in academics saying dismal performance in school may lead to termination of the scholarship.
He said cases of indiscipline or any wayward behaviour including cases of pregnancies and related vices would equally lead to disqualification from the programme.
He said the students were required to hand in report cards every end of school term through Ward education coordinators so that their academic progress could be monitored.
The Governor also urged parents to strive to provide the students with personal effects and be in the forefront in providing conducive environment and moral guidance to the beneficiaries.
County Executive in charge of Education Agnes Ngeno said the list of beneficiaries was posted in social media platforms so that any undeserving cases could be picked out by the members of the public.
She said that the same was meant to expose cases of cheating saying there was one such case which would be terminated after the beneficiary was found to have given false information in order to benefit from the project.
She asked the students to pick their respective cheques before they proceeded to the various schools come Monday.
By Kipngeno Korir
