Muhoroni CDF disburses Sh7m to sponsor pupils joining secondary

Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo has disbursed Sh7 million to candidates who sat their 2021 KCPE in public schools in the constituency.

 The four-year full scholarship was awarded to 64 pupils who have secured admission to national secondary schools. 

Koyoo, who is serving his second term, said the beneficiaries are part of the ninth edition of KCPE candidates who have been awarded full scholarship to join national schools.

He presided over the disbursement of the scholarship at the Constituency Development Fund offices in Chemelil on Tuesday. 

Koyoo said he initiated the bursary programme through CDF to award bright but needy students whose parents could not afford to educate them in national schools.

The CDF also awards scholarship to students who performed well and join universities to study courses such as architecture, engineering, medicine and law, among others. 

The initiative, started in 2014, is aimed at having more professionals in Muhoroni.

Koyoo said education remains one of his development pillars and, through the programme, Muhoroni will be among the constituencies with the most educated professionals.

Currently, the MP said some of the first batch of the students who were awarded the scholarship in the year 2014 are pursuing master's degrees in various fields.

He told off those peddling propaganda in the constituency that CDF has been sponsoring children from rich families, terming the accusations as baseless and untrue. 

"With the children before us here, you have confirmed that it is not true because we have the beneficiaries here in broad daylight and you have seen them,” Koyoo said. 

The legislator called on the beneficiaries to remain focussed and work hard to excel in their studies. 

"The best way to thank the CDF committee is to perform well to join higher learning institutions. Education is the best way to make your future bright," Koyoo said. 

The education stakeholders who included teachers, local administrators and parents whose children have benefited lauded Koyoo for the initiative which they said has so far helped transform education in Muhoroni. 

They pledged to work jointly and support Koyoo to continue serving the residents of Muhoroni.

"We have witnessed various education, roads and school infrastructure developments in our constituency. We should rally behind the MP to continue with the ongoing projects,"John Otieno, a parent, said. 

On January, Koyoo disbursed Sh15 million for bursaries to university and college students.

He said the money will benefit 1,510 students drawn from the five wards in the constituency.

Of the beneficiaries, 612 are from colleges, with 898 in various universities.

Koyoo, who was accompanied by CDF chairman Bernard Del, said beneficiaries have been carefully selected from the many applications. 

The MP said 102 students from Miwani who are in colleges received bursaries alongside 135 who are in universities.

A total of 119 college students from Muhoroni/Koru ward benefited together with 199 who are in universities.

In Chemelil ward, 161 and 229 students in colleges and universities respectively benefited.

Koyoo said he is committed to ensuring all students, regardless of their background, access education.

He further said that students taking engineering, medicine and architecture courses are fully sponsored to encourage more to enrol for the courses.

He has been lauded by Education officials, including Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha and Sports CS Amina Mohammed for his bursary model.

Koyoo said his office has been tracking the performance of the students under the programme.

The fund is disbursed in five categories—national schools, special-course universities, vulnerable students, college and university and other secondary schools.

Currently, a total of 259 students in national schools are fully sponsored at a tune of Sh12 million.

In universities, 123 students who are taking medicine, architecture, law and engineering are sponsored to a tune of Sh5 million.

(edited by Amol Awuor)