Over 17,000 learners to benefit from Sh100 million county bursary program

Voi, Tuesday, June 20, 2023

KNA by Wagema Mwangi

The education sector in Taita-Taveta County has received a major boost after the county government unveiled a Sh100 million bursary program to assist needy learners from the region.

Speaking in Taveta on Monday during the launch of the final phase of the bursary program, Taita-Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime stated that his government was keen on making gains in the education sector as part of extended support to cushion the needy learners from economic burden in the education sector.

The governor oversaw the roll-out of the second tranche of Sh40-million that support over 7,800 needy learners. This brings to a total Sh100 millions of bursary kitty allocated by the County. The first installment of Sh60 million was released in April this year targeting 11,000 learners.

The governor reiterated his government’s commitment to assisting needy learners access education through issuance of bursaries and offering scholarships to the most deserving cases. He stated that the bursary kitty that is managed by the Education Fund Board will benefit learners in secondary school and vocational training centers.

“We pledged as leaders to ensure needy learners are empowered to pursue their educational goals without interruptions. This is why we have allocated Sh100 million for bursaries in this county,” he said.

The governor disclosed that though the bursary allocation for the current financial year has been exhausted, the county government was planning to double the bursary kitty to Sh200 million from the current Sh100 million. This implies that each of the 20-wards in the county will receive Sh10 million each for distributing to needy learners.

While appealing for public support towards promotion of education goals, the governor noted the need for significant investments in the sector to allow schools and other learning institutions compete effectively with other regions.

Deputy Speaker of the County Assembly Anselim Mwadime said MCAs were willing to support the county government’s development agenda including promotion of educational initiatives to allow needy learners access education.

He added that the county assembly would continue to play its oversight role to ensure the monies set aside for educational purposes were properly utilized. “We are going to support such initiatives to make sure that our children benefit and acquire education,” he said.

Apart from the Sh100 million bursary initiative, the county government also manages a scholarship program that currently has 400 students in secondary schools. The fully-paid-for program supports bright but needy learners from the region.

For learners pursuing higher education in universities and tertiary institutions, the county government set aside a loan fund to support university learners. The fund is managed by Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

The event was also attended by senior county officers including County Executive Committee Members Gloria Monikombo, Education; Shedrack Mutungi, Youth and Gifton Mkaya for Health. Members of County Assembly from all the 20 wards in the region were also present.

Courtesy ; K. N. A