Some 60 students from Nyeri County have been awarded full secondary schools scholarships by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga.
The sponsorship will only cater for the four-year school fees of the beneficiaries, all of whom scored 350 marks in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary School Education (KCPE) exam.
The 60 who will join Form One this week, were selected from the 30 electoral wards in Nyeri, where two students were picked from each ward.
Nyeri Governor challenged the beneficiaries to maintain their impressive performance even after joining high school.
He said that education was the most valuable asset and the best security that they could use to secure a bright future.
Kahiga also said that together with the County Department of Education would continue to support the education sector as a way of ensuring that each child in the county, is accorded a chance to learn.
“My Government remains committed to supporting the education of our children, the improvement of academic performance in our County and ultimately, the lives of our youths,” said Kahiga.
Elsewhere, a total of 25 bright and needy students from Kieni Constituency, Nyeri County have received education sponsorship which will foot their secondary school fees from area Member of Parliament, Kanini Kega.
The students who were drawn from the eight (8) wards in Kieni will benefit from full scholarship, which will include full school fees, a stipend for pocket money, uniform fee and a school metal box as they join form one.
The Legislator who is the benefactor and Patron of the Imani Mathenge Foundation, said that the initiative is aimed at assisting the less privileged in his constituency realize their academic dreams.
Speaking during the event to award the scholarships to the beneficiaries in Kieni, Kega said that he was challenged by his son to come up with a way of ensuring the bright and needy students, get chance of joining form one.
“Last year after my son sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams and performed well, he was concerned about his peers who had also performed exemplary well, but had no financial support to join form one. He asked me to find a way of helping those students and it’s at that juncture that I decided to mobilize my friends and we came up with the Imani Mathenge Foundation, which so far has been of great help to students from Kieni,” Kega said.
Kega has also said the initiative has played a big role in motivating class eight candidates in the area to do well in national examinations, since they are assured that their academic journey will not be cut short by lack of fees.
“The students we are awarding have performed well and secured positions in good schools in various parts of this country. This initiative has helped in motivating students to work harder and benefit from our foundation. We shall pay their full school fees as well as provide other necessities they will require during their academic period,” Kega added.
Kega has also challenged the beneficiaries to work hard and to take their studies seriously adding that he will be on the forefront following up on their performance after every term. He has also said those that will perform well at the end of the secondary school education will be fully supported to pursue their higher education.
“I will be your guardian from now henceforth. I will be the first one to receive your report cards every term and analyze your performance. I just hope that you will not disappoint me and Imani Mathenge Foundation at large. Those who will perform well and continue at higher levels we shall support them fully,” he said.
The Legislator further noted that the National Government Constituency Development Funds ( NGCDF) his Constituency receives is less compared to the number of students who need them thus such initiatives like Imani Mathenge Foundation will ensure more students are assisted.
“We will be giving out the NGCDF bursary in two weeks. But the amount we will distribute is Sh 42 million, which will be divided among the 13,000 applicants. That means we will be able to give approximately Sh 4,000 to every student. That amount cannot sustain a student in a boarding school. So there is a need to come up with other initiatives which will ensure needier and bright candidates benefit,” Kega added.
One of the beneficiaries, Mercy Nyakio, who attained 351 marks lauded the Foundation and the Patron, saying that she will work hard and become a lawyer in future to assist those in need in the society.
By Wangari Mwangi and Ann Ngure
