More than 35,000 needy learners in Kakamega County are set to benefit from a Ksh 149,330,500 bursary disbursement launched on May 8 by Governor Fernandes Barasa at Bukhungu Stadium, in what marks one of the county’s largest single education relief interventions this financial year.
Speaking during the event, Barasa said the programme targets the most vulnerable households, reiterating that keeping learners in school despite economic hardship remains a cornerstone of his administration’s agenda.
“Education remains a key priority of this administration,” the governor said
The event was also attended by Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) led by Majority Leader Philip Maina, Education County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Dr. Benard Amwayi, and other county officials.
The latest disbursement follows an earlier Ksh 30 million bursary release in November last year, bringing the county’s total bursary outlay in the current financial year to nearly Ksh 180 million.
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The governor also disclosed that the county government had separately released Ksh 56 million in capitation funding for county polytechnics, supporting approximately 16,000 trainees. He announced that an additional Ksh 24 million would be released before the close of the financial year to complete the polytechnic capitation cycle.
The May 8 disbursement comes after county bursary programmes were temporarily thrown into uncertainty by a court dispute over whether counties had the constitutional mandate to fund institutions beyond their jurisdiction.
Kakamega County resolved the matter by signing an intergovernmental agreement with the national government through the Ministry of Education (MoE), establishing a framework for the county to manage bursary and scholarship disbursements. The agreement came into force on June 1, 2025.
Barasa said his administration would sustain investment in Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres and vocational training programmes, including infrastructure upgrades and learner support in county polytechnics.
By Benedict Aoya
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