The county government of Kisumu has disbursed Sh102.5 million bursaries and scholarships to support needy students in the area.
The disbursement which is the last tranche for the financial year 2022/2023 is set to benefit 30,515 students.
Deputy Governor Dr. Mathews Owili said this brings to a total of Sh205 million disbursed this financial year with over 30, 000 students benefiting from the program.
Owili, who presided over the disbursement on behalf of Governor Anyang Nyong’o said the beneficiaries were selected out of a total of 52, 984 applications an indicator that thousands of needy students are forced to discontinue their studies due to lack of school fees.
“This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a crisis, because every year, a big number of needy students fail to get financial support to continue with their studies,” he said and called on the private sector and other stakeholders to partner with the government to ensure more needy students in the area are supported.
The county government, he added, has scaled up bursary allocations per ward from Sh2 million in 2018 to Sh4.1 million and urged other private sector players supporting education in the area to scale up their programmes to support more students.
Owili said the bursary and scholarship programme was a lifeline to many needy students in the county adding that the county government will ensure that the kitty does not dry up.
“This programme has produced many young people who are now taking their various courses in universities,” he added.
Besides the bursary programme, the county government, he added, has made great strides in improving Early Childhood Education Centers and Vocational Training Centers (VTCs).
The number of VTCs, he added, has been increased from 20 in 2018 to 26 in 2023 with three more under construction.
“We are striving to establish at least one VTC per ward to bring the training closer to residents,” he said.
He urged the youth to enroll for training at the centers adding that the county government will continue to give Sh15, 000 as capitation for learners at the institutions. “We have so far spent Sh206 million in capitation grants and we commit to increasing the allocation,” he said.
By Edwin Odhiambo
