Over 20 students have been awarded scholarships by the Kakamega County Government to study Science, Technology and Engineering in China.
According to the County Chief Officer of Education, Dr. Irene Ashoya, 10 other students pursuing similar disciplines in Kenya have also benefitted.
The CO was speaking at Mukumu Girls High School when she officially opened a workshop for over 200 female students from Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga and Kakamega counties.
The girls who have converged at the school for the five-day workshop are being mentored to become scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians (STEM).
Besides 35 scholarships being awarded under the auspices of STEM, Dr. Ashoya said, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) had partnered with the county government to manage its Sh.20 million bursary scheme.
The money, she said, was being allocated to poor university students from the area.
Kenya has 9 % of its women as engineers yet there have been less enrolment of female students in the field for the last seven years running, research by United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) shows.
Following this, UNESCO is out to inspire girls, while at a tender age, to pursue science, the organisation states in a concept paper.
According to the Director of Youth in the Ministry of Education, Stephen Jalenga, Microsoft and Safaricom are to sensitise the female students on artificial intelligence.
Jalenga said that during the session the students are to apply robotics to ascertain that some objectives are realised through the use of the same.
By Bantaleo Muhindi
