Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata has said the existing county scholarship programme will be expanded to include needy and bright learners from day secondary schools.
On Tuesday, Kang’ata speaking when he issued cheques amounting to more than Sh. 48 million to students under the programme dubbed Nyota Zetu scholarships said there are some parents who are finding it hard to pay fees enrolled in day schools.
He noted that someday secondary schools have been performing well in national examinations thus the need to support learners from poor backgrounds.
The Nyota Zetu programme which was started by former Governor Mwangi wa Iria, four years ago, has been paying full scholarship to 1, 000 needy learners per year.
The programme has only been factoring needy and bright students enrolled in national and extra county secondary schools.
Currently the programme has a total of 4, 000 beneficiaries with Kang’ata lauding Nyota zetu scholarship for enabling students from poor families to get educated.
“I promise to continue with this programme which was started by the previous county government. My Administration will make necessary changes and expand it to benefit more learners including those from day schools,” he said at Kimorori grounds.
Selection of those to benefit with the scholarship Kang’ata stated will be fair to ensure the needy cases are given priority. He added that to promote education in the county, his administration will be rewarding students who emerge position one to three in the KCPE in the public primary schools.
“We will come up with a programme to reward those who emerge position one to three in KCPE with Sh. 15, 000. The reward will be to motivate our children to work hard in their studies,” he further said.
Meanwhile the Governor observed that the County Administration will from next year start offering a one-year internship to students who have cleared college and university education.
The internship programme, he added, will give the students experience as they search for long lasting employment opportunities.
“I will also reach out to companies which want to work with the county government to ensure they offer internship or employment opportunities to students from Murang’a,” he added.
By Bernard Munyao
