Wanga's Fins to Swim scholarship under test over selection process

Homa Bay activists have petitioned the county education department to publicize the list of beneficiaries of the Fins to Swim scholarship program for accountability purposes.

The activists argued that the programme is funded by tax payer’s money which requires the public to know the process of picking the beneficiaries and how the funds will be utilized.

They focus on transparency and accountability. Homa Bay government allocated Sh30 million for paying school fees for 275 students joining Form One this year.

According to Governor Gladys Wanga, at least six beneficiaries were selected from every ward. The selected few will have their secondary school fee paid in full.

They will further join universities without their partners spending a coin on their education. The programme will be undertaken in subsequent years.

However, an outcry has emerged from some parents on the manner the beneficiaries were picked.

A group of parents in the West Kasipul ward protested after their area was left out. The parents sought an audience with the ward administrator.

Protesters Lucy Owino, Willis Ojwang, Grace Auma and David K’Ouko wanted to know why their children have not been issued cheques.

They claimed they were sidelined even though their children deserved to benefit from the programme.

“Let our deserving children be included in the programme. Governor Wanga had said the programme would be inclusive and done transparently,” K’Ouko said.

It is against this backdrop that activists Evans Oloo (Interface Community Help Desk), Michael Kojo (Devolution Defenders Network Forum) and Walter Opiyo (Bunge la Wenye Nchi) asked the county government to publicize the record of beneficiaries.

They argued that members of the public will have an opportunity to know exactly who benefited from the funds.

“Some beneficiaries of the programme are children whose parents are close to county government officials. The selection was done in a skewed manner and left out the real hustlers’ children,” Kojo said.

Fins to Swim scholarship programme is Governor Wanga's initiative. Beneficiaries were required to get 350 marks and above in the 2022 KCPE exams.

Other children who came from needy backgrounds also qualified and were picked.

Oloo claimed the exercise was put in the dark with a preplanned list forwarded to the education office.

“Many deserving students were shortchanged at the final minute. Their names were removed and replaced by students whose parents are influential in the county government,” Oloo said.

The activists want the selection committee to get dissolved. The committee was formed at the ward level to pick deserving children.

They called on the education department to ensure all 2022 KCPE candidates from Homa Bay transit to form one.

Opiyo called on elected leaders who are mandated to control government funds to use them prudently and help vulnerable students join Form One.

Last Friday during the distribution of cheques for the scholarship programme, Governor Wanga and Education executive Martin Opere said they will ensure all wards are covered.

“We know where there are issues but we’ll rectify the situation and ensure deserving children benefit,” Wanga said.

On Thursday, Opere said they will produce the list of beneficiaries in two weeks' time after the process is complete.

He said all due diligence was done in selection.

“We’ll put in public all the documents without fail. We’re finalizing the list,” Opere said.