The government has disbursed bursaries worth sh 1,034,000 to 83 needy students from Makueni constituency under the Presidential Bursary Programme in the first half of the 2018/2019 financial year.
Makueni Children Officer Mr. Rasto Omollo said the programme that targets mostly orphans and vulnerable children is aimed at enabling beneficiaries to get secondary education.
Omollo said the second tranche of the kitty is expected to be released by end of the financial year.
Each constituency is allocated Sh 1.3 million.
Addressing the area advisory committee meeting today at the county commissioner’s board room, the Children’s Officer however disclosed that the programme will no longer cover day scholars after the government rolled out free day school secondary education in 2018.
‘‘We are currently exiting day scholars from the programme following capitation by the government of sh 22,400 for day scholars in all public schools,’’he noted.
Omollo said following the free day school secondary education, more students from poor backgrounds will benefit from the programme that awards bursaries to the beneficiaries for the entire period they are in school.
On the Orphans and Vulnerable (OVC) cash transfer programme the children officer said more than 1,260 beneficiaries had enrolled for the new payment system and only 90 were remaining.
He said the department was liaising with chiefs and their assistants to ensure that the 90 beneficiaries opened bank accounts as required to continue benefiting from the Sh 2,000 monthly stipend.
‘‘The deadline for the migration from the old to the new system of bank accounts has been extended to February and our hope is that all beneficiaries will have migrated to the new system,’’said omollo.
In the new payment system beneficiaries are required to open accounts in four banks-Equity Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank,Postbank,and Cooperative Bank-where the money will be wired directly.
By Roselyne Kavoo
