Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo has launched a county government-funded scholarship programme for bright but needy students in secondary schools.
Ottichilo on Friday said they started the programme after realising many students who performed well in KCPE failed to secure the Equity Bank's Wings to Fly scholarship.
He said the aim of the bursary kitty is to keep the students in school.
He added that the program was mainly to keep the needy students in schools of their choice.
“Bursaries awarded at the wards and constituency levels are not enough to keep these bright children in schools of their choice,” Ottichilo said.
He spoke at Mbale Friends School where he addressed the beneficiaries.
The programme mainly targets orphans and bright students from poor families.
Ottichilo said they were aiming to support beneficiaries up to university level to ensure they achieve their dreams.
“We started this programme with only seventy students, but as things stand now we are supporting a hundred students and we expect to the number to increase steadily,” he said.
The governor told the students the county had already paid their second term fees. Schools reopen for the second term today.
He urged them to take advantage of the scholarship and work hard for a better future.
“A plan to fail is to have no plans of your activities. You must plan well and evaluate yourself on every step you make to see if you are improving or not.”
He promised excellent performers the county will pay their fees up to university level. Ottichilo said a team will monitor the progress of all beneficiaries both in school and at home.
"Those with bad character will be kicked out of the programme," Ottichilo said.
Edited by P. Obuya
