Over 4,000 students from Isiolo North Constituency will receive Sh. 25.5 million in bursary in a bid to ensure learners remained in school despite the looming drought and high cost of living in the country.
According to Isiolo North MP Mr. Joseph Samal who has launched Sh. 25.5 million bursary that will benefit 4,326 students from his constituency adding the government is committed to ensure that all learners are treated equally in offering of education opportunities regardless of the regions they originate from.
“No learner will be discriminated against when it comes to sharing of the education bursary although the very vulnerable families will have an advantage because they have no other reliable source of livelihood,” the legislator said.
Mr. Samal further said the Sh. 24.5 million would be put into education institutions development in the constituency together with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
He urged all secondary school principals to allow all students continue learning saying the bursaries disbursed through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), Children department, county Government and women representative’s office was enough for every child in the county.
“Those parents who are still keeping students at home because of fees problems should return them to school immediately as I appeal to principals to ensure no learner is sent home for fees,” the MP said.
Mr. Samal added that the national government was addressing the threatening drought situation in the country through support of Sh. 16 billion from USAID and an additional Sh.4 billion from other partners.
He also revealed that ‘World Vision’, a non-government organization working in the county had supported 240 children with full education sponsorship while ‘Equity Bank’ gave some 600 children full sponsorship to university level.
Isiolo County Commissioner Mr. Geoffrey Omoding directed three Deputies County Commissioners from the area to mobilize wananchi through the government’s campaign to achieve the mandatory 100 percent transition for learners joining Form One and those going to Junior Secondary.
Mr. Omoding said that if leaders cooperate and adhere to their pre-election pledges, no child from Isiolo could fail to continue with education for lack of fees, insecurity, early marriages or FGM since the vices called for political goodwill.
The administrator said that all 81 public JSS schools in the county had picked up and learning was ongoing despite teachers’ shortages in the area.
On security, Mr. Omoding said that the county had enough security officers adding that the government had sealed all the hotspot zones previously used by the criminals in effort to eradicate the disturbing rustling activities in the area.
He added that the government has distributed adequate relief food to all public secondary and primary schools and directed chiefs and their assistants with the help of nyumba kumi elders to ensure that every child was retained in school.
By David Nduro
