By Enock Kipturgut
Baringo Governor Stanley Kiptis has said that the county government has disbursed Sh250 million in bursaries since the year 2014, benefiting over eighteen thousand students.
Kiptis was speaking during 2019/2020 County Bursary launch that aims at benefiting 3,918 bright but needy students from humble family backgrounds who are in secondary schools.
“We are launching last year’s thirty Million bursary fund to benefit 3,918 students in secondary schools. My administration has increased this year’s bursary kitty to forty two million,” the governor said.
Governor Kiptis lauded Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank, Cooperative bank and other stakeholders for their immense Scholarships to uplift the dreams of bright but needy students across the Country.
The County Deputy Governor Jacob Chepkwony disclosed that the government increased the bursary kitty for the financial year by twelve million to sponsor children at the County Vocational Training Centers.
Education County Executive Dr. David Sergon said that his department has kick off replacement of Early Childhood Development Education Teachers to fill the vacancies left out due to natural attrition, employment of interns and employment Vocational Training Centers’ instructors.
He said the County Government has advertised to employ and replace 164 Early Childhood Education Teachers, ten tutors under Permanent and Pension terms of service and further employment of forty interns to breach the deficit in the County Vocational Training Centers.
Dr. Sergon urged parents to enroll their children in early Childhood education Centers saying that the county government has set aside funds for school feeding programme to aid children retention in schools. Although he regretted that lack of feeding programmes have forced many children to opt out of schools
Tenges Member of County Assembly (MCA) who doubles up as Baringo County Assembly Education Committee Chairperson Hon. John Tarus lauded the governor for setting a side bursary funds for the needy children to access education.
His sentiments echoed by his nominated MCA Francis Kibai and Silale MCA Nelson Lotela. They added that the funds were little to cater for the needs of the many children joining form one across the county calling on the governor to increase the bursary kitty to Sh100 Million to address the needs of the less fortunate children in the society.
