Tharaka Nithi bursary beneficiaries have been recognised as top performers in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
This has featured prominently in Maara constituency, where the programme, which is funded through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to award bursaries to needy and bright students, which covers various education-related costs, has received the expected results.
For instance, Terran Baraka Mwenda, one of the bursary beneficiaries who scored an A Plain (83 points) from Chogoria Boys High School, while speaking to the media, detailed the hardships of being raised by his grandmother, a journey that had a lot of challenges, including the payment of school fees after he was accepted to the school having scored 366 marks in his KCPE.
“The CDF bursary enabled me to study without fees, despite home challenges like caring for my dementia and hypertension patient and having a Grade 6 brother,’’ he said.
Baraka’s plea to well-wishers is to sponsor his university education, where he wants to pursue medicine.
“In class six, I lost my mother, and this has motivated me to pass and become a doctor because I wouldn’t want anyone else to suffer due to illness,” he said.
Curtis Mwenda’s case is no different. The former Kiriani Mixed Day Secondary School student scored a B- in the 2024 KCSE examinations and hopes to study education at the university.
Mwenda revealed he had no hopes of joining secondary school until he got knowledge of the Maara Bursary Programme, and since he was among the qualified students with 320 marks, he applied and was listed as a beneficiary.
The individual, a student with 300 or higher marks, applied for a bursary and has been a beneficiary since form one. They stayed with their grandmother and thanked well-wishers for supporting their education,” he told the media.
Samwel Kinyua, another beneficiary who scored an A- from Meru School, accepted that he was proud of his performance after financial struggles, saying his ambitions to be an Aeronautical Engineer were almost coming true.
“The support I received through bursaries from Maara Constituency CDF and other well-wishers served as a major boost to my education. I believe my grade will enable me to enroll for my dream course at the university,” he said.
Other beneficiaries who performed well include Mark Dennis Munene and Alex Mutethia, who scored C+ from Giampampo Day Secondary School and Kelvin Mwenda, who scored a B- from Kianjagi Day Secondary School. Other students from Kianjagi Secondary School are Martin Mutuma and Ian Muthomi, who scored C+
Maara Member of Parliament (MP) Kareke Mbiuki said the 2024 KCSE candidates under the programme posted exemplary results with major improvements compared to 2023, where he thanked teachers and education stakeholders for the great working relationship that has led to the great results.
In his congratulatory message to the students, Kareke noted that his office has set aside funds in the 2024-2025 Financial Year towards bursaries to ensure students who have acquired university entry grades transition successfully to university.
Additionally, the MP asked the government to streamline the new university funding model and promised more engagement with stakeholders to look at areas of improvement in the constituency.
“I want to congratulate all our 2024 candidates from all our Maara Constituency schools for posting great results. Our bursary beneficiaries have also performed well and we can see the fruits of our labor. I want to thank the students for ensuring Maara continues to shine, witnessing a major improvement from 2023. We have invested a lot of resources in education, and this has led to the good results, “he said.
By David Mutwiri and Blaise Gitonga
