Kilifi County Government has urged all parents of students who were unable to join boarding schools due to lack of school fees to take them to the nearest day schools.
The County Executive Committee Member for Education Information, Communication Technology (ICT), M. Felkin Kaingu Dena, said the county administration was ready to pay fees for students from poor backgrounds who will join day schools in a bid to achieve the 100 per cent transition.
Speaking at Bandacho Primary School in Magarini Sub County during the school’s prize-giving day Monday, Mr. Dena said although the county government had issued full scholarships to 2,600 students called to join secondary school, many more, especially those called to join boarding secondary schools, were still at home due to lack of fees.
“We urge parents of all students who have not reported to boarding secondary schools due to various challenges—and we know most are due to lack of school fees—to take them to day schools in their localities, and the county government will pay their fees,” he said.
The CECM also urged the management of boarding schools to create space for day scholars so that students in their areas who cannot join secondary schools can also get their education in the institutions.
He said the county government was also following up on students who were called to national schools but missed out in the initial scholarships to ensure that they also reported.
“Our aim as the county government is to ensure that all our students from vulnerable families are helped to get their education, not just in secondary school but through university,” he said, and he urged all students to work hard as the government would also sponsor their university education.
Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa Chibule said the county government had increased the annual bursary allocation from Sh350 million to Sh500 million and that it would ultimately increase the bursary kit to Sh1 billion.
She urged well-wishers to join hands with the county government to provide education to all the children of Kilifi County, irrespective of their economic backgrounds.
“As stakeholders in education, we must ensure that no child in Kilifi is left behind. Parents should also remember that they have responsibilities, which they should not shirk just because they are being helped,” she said.
She urged school principals to be considerate and refrain from sending students away from school to look for fees and instead collaborate with parents, leaders, and the county government so that the students remain in school as their fees challenges are addressed.
“I know the challenges you go through when fees are not paid on time, but constantly sending away your students also affects their performance individually and that of the schools’ in general, and we need to discourage this,” she said.
Adu Ward Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Samson Zia Kahindi, said many parents in his ward were not able to take their children to school due to poverty brought about by drought and crop destruction by both domestic and wild animals.
He suggested that an electric fence be erected around the Tsavo East National Park to prevent wild animals from reaching farms and destroying crops. He also called for the construction of dams along the River Sabaki (Galana) to be used for irrigation and to water the animals.
Bandacho Primary School Head Teacher Constance Kanze Mwaria thanked the county government for giving full scholarships to 56 students who joined national schools this year.
By Emmanuel Masha
