Apply for bursary in your constituency, Gichugu MP tells parents

Gichugu MP Gichimu Githinji has urged parents to be applying for NG-CDF bursaries in their respective constituencies.

Gichimu complained that there were people from other constituencies who applied for bursary in Gichugu.

Every constituency has allocation for both bursary and development in the NG-CDF kitty and therefore everyone should apply the same in their electoral area, he said.

The legislator said though he could not immediately establish the figure of the outsiders, there was quite a good number from neighbouring constituencies.

They were, however, denied the bursary.

“We looked into the matter and the bursary was allocated as per the requirement.  Every constituency has a share of its bursary and therefore applicants should find out when their respective constituencies are receiving bursary application forms and apply there,” he said.

The lawmaker spoke when he disbursed bursary cheques worth Sh55 million meant to benefit 15,000 learners in his constituency Monday.

This is a significant increase compared to Sh42 million issued out last year, he added.

He said the timing for the issuance of the bursary cheques was appropriate as it would ensure learners would find the money in schools when they reopen for second term reducing cases of children being sent home for fees.

He called on school principals to consider spending the money first and retain learners in school for sometime before sending them home to collect more fees.

Plans, he added, are underway to ensure youth who were unable to join university and tertiary institutions are given life skills so they can start income generating activities and become self reliant.

“Through the bursary programme, we have a plan to empower those who could not join university or tertiary institutions so they can do short courses like hairdressing, carpentry, welding among others and join the job market upon completion,” he said.

The programme he said will start this year and a budget for the same has been set aside.