President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) with beneficiaries of the Equity Wings To Fly programme, at Safaricom Stadium Kasarani in Nairobi, where he presided over the launch of the second phase of the initiative, February 5, 2016. Photo/PSCU
The government is "working hard" to ensure primary and secondary school education is fully free in the next five years, the President has said.
Uhuru Kenyatta affirmed this on Friday at Nairobi's Safaricom Stadium Kasarani where 2,000 more beneficiaries of the Equity Wings to Fly programme were announced.
Uhuru, who presided over the launch of the second phase of the initiative, urged the students to take full advantage of the comprehensive scholarships by the Equity Group and The MasterCard foundations.
“I urge all beneficiaries to make sure they get the best out of these scholarships. I
encourage other organisations to come out and support our children," he said.
"My wish is for them to do their best, which will be a credit to themselves, their parents and those who support them."
Equity Bank has dedicated two per cent of its revenue to the initiative that is now in its second phase, said Equity Bank Group managing director and CEO James Mwangi who read the beneficiaries' names.
The number of scholarships awarded under the programme now stands at 10,377 in five years. The programme was launched in 2011, to assist bright, needy students.
Beneficiaries receive tuition, fare, pocket money, uniforms, books, career guidance and mentoring for the four-year period of secondary education.
Mwangi asked the government to fast-track the mining of petroleum to help make education free.
"Once we begin mining petroleum in Turkana we must make education free from the returns we get,” he stated.
