Marakwet West sub-county has launched a Sh45 million comprehensive bursary program to keep needy students in school.
The program that is funded by the National Government Constituencies Development Funds (NG-CDF), has provided full secondary school scholarships to 58 students from different sub-locations within the sub-county.
Speaking during the launch of the bursary program at Kenya Medical Training College [KMTC] in Kapsowar, Marakwet West Member of Parliament Timothy Toroitich noted that the beneficiaries were drawn from the fifty-eight sub-locations of Marakwet West Sub County giving consideration to one secondary student per sub-location
The fund also introduced new bursary schemes to cater to the needs of more students and now provides Sh4000 to students in Day Secondary schools and also introduced full scholarships for specialized courses at the university level for students taking up courses such as Nursing, Engineering, and Law.
Twelve students in the six wards of Marakwet West, two from each ward, will benefit from the full university scholarship program.
The fund committee also approved bursaries and medical cover for National Police Reservists [NPR] as a way of ensuring that the reservists and their children have access to quality education and healthcare.
Bursary funds allocated to secondary schools have increased from Sh8, 000 to Sh12, 000 and those in tertiary level (colleges and universities) getting an increment to 12,000 up from 10,000.
The legislator divulged that this year’s bursary allocation increased from Sh37 million to Sh45 million, constituting 30 percent of constituency development funds.
He noted that the launch of the bursaries scheme program was aimed at promoting openness and transparency in leadership and giving the students the opportunity to concentrate and be able to excel in their academic studies without disturbance.
He pointed out that the comprehensive scholarship program is the first of its kind in the sub-county and will give disadvantaged students opportunities to forge ahead in pursuing their dreams.
By Rennish Okong’o and Damaris Biwott
