By Fredrick Odiero
Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o has said that his government is committed to improve the education standards in the county.
Speaking at St Albert Angira Mixed Secondary School in Kajulu in Kisumu East during a funds drive, the governor said he would construct ECDE and vocational training centres and partner with development organizations and the national government to improve infrastructure in primary and secondary schools.
During the funds drive, Shs 5.08 million was raised. The governor gave a personal contribution of Shs 750,000.
The funds raised target to benefit more than 28,000 students from the county, including those joining the Kenya Railway Institute Marine Training School in Kisumu.
‘My government will continue to issue bursary funds and scholarships to needy children.’ He said.
The County government has issued Shs 205 million in bursaries and scholarships to needy students in the 2020/21 financial year.
He revealed that plans are underway for the bursary and scholarship process to be fully automated for purposes of efficiency. The bursary targets bright, needy and vulnerable children with 350 marks and above.
The beneficiaries of the scholarships are usually drawn from the 35 wards across the county.2 students (male and female) in all the 35 wards have been sponsored to the marine school.
Last year, the county launched the disbursement of Shs 68.4 million for bursaries and scholarships to 9,629 beneficiaries. The funds benefitted secondary, university and driving school students across the county.
In January, the countydisbursedShs 57 million to 1,260 beneficiaries in universities and driving schools.
It had also released Shs 45 million bursary cash to benefit 9,772 needy students in high schools.
Some 350 students who had been selected to join Form One last year benefited from the funds and another 16,694 students were awarded bursaries.
