•Mombasa county has released Sh50 million bursary funds after a long tussle with MCAs.
•Funds to be distributed through Elimu Fund.
Image: ERNEST CORNEL
More than 3,000 needy students in Mombasa county are set to benefit after bursary money was released.
MCAs have recently engaged the executive in a tussle over the delayed Sh50 million bursary. The money will assist 3,286 students in 800 secondary schools.
The county assembly had approved Sh150 million for the bursary kitty.
Deputy governor William Kingi, who also doubles up as the county executive in charge of Education, said, “On Monday (today), we are going to issue the first cheques for almost Sh50 million to over 3,000 Form One students who had applied.”
The beneficiaries are in three categories - those who were in public primary schools in Mombasa and were called to boarding schools elsewhere, students were learning outside Mombasa, but with their parents resident in Mombasa and students in day secondary schools.
“When we requested for needy students to come forth, we got 277 students who were in public primary schools in Mombasa and have been called to boarding schools. Each of these students will be given Sh30,000,” Kingi said.
AVERAGE FEES
He said the average annual fee for boarders in public boarding secondary schools is Sh55,000.
The total budget for the 277 students is Sh8,310,000.
For learners in public primary schools outside Mombasa, but whose parents are county residents, each will get Sh15,000.
The budget for the 1,942 applicants is Sh29,130,000.
In the day scholars category, the county government received 1,067 applications.
The day scholars pay an average of Sh16,000 annually. The county government will pay Sh8,000 for each applicant. This totals to Sh8,536,000.
TEXT MESSAGE
Elimu Fund, a charity, will help in the disbursement of the funds. Chief executive John Musuva said the beneficiaries will get a text message from Elimu Fund informing them of the release of the cheques and where to collect them.
Parents who need assistance, will get it in identified in six sub-counties.
Changamwe's 681 beneficiaries will collect their cheques at Chaani Social Hall while Jomvu’s 409 beneficiaries will pick theirs from Mikindani Social Hall.
Kisauni’s 695 beneficiaries will collect their cheques at Kisauni Water and Mwakirunge Chief’s Office and Likoni’s 510 beneficiaries will collect theirs at Likoni Social Hall.
For Mvita (481) and Nyali (510) beneficiaries the cheque collection will be at Tononoka Social Hall and Kongowea Market respectively.
After the one-week exercise, the county will issue other bursary forms for students in Forms 2-4 and those in special needs schools.
“We are planning to give high school students and those who are in special need schools their cheques by the end of April,” Musuva said.
Cheques for university and college students will be issued before the end of the financial year in June.