• Day scholars will get Sh5,000 and boarders Sh10,000.
• Most deserving cases identified from 15,000 applicants.
Needy students from Kirinyaga county will this year benefit from Sh70 million bursary funds set aside by the county government.
Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri said the money provided in this year's budget will be distributed in September.
Ndambiri said initially the county had set aside Sh40 million but increased it to Sh70 million due to the high number of students who applied for bursaries.
“My Bursary Fund Committee has worked tirelessly within a short time and come up with a list of the most deserving cases out of the 15,000 applicants whose schools will now receive the cheques,” he said.
The deputy governor said this time they have increased the allocation from the previous Sh3, 000 to Sh5,000 for day schools and over Sh10,000 for boarding secondary school students.
Ndambiri who was addressing teachers and students at Kerugoya Boys High School stressed the need for the leaders to work together to develop the county.
''Time for politicking is over; tell the leaders that this is time for development. Look at Embu and Nyeri, these counties are ahead of us in development and we want to catch up with them,” he said
Ndambiri said the county was in the process of improving early childhood education.
The county, he said, has engaged 440 teachers on full time basis and are on the county government payroll.
He said the county government has set aside money to train 60 youths from every ward to support safety and sustainability.
Kirinyaga's development is on course despite the negative publicity about the county Ndambiri said.
He said 252 acres at Sagana has reverted back to the county and secured for industrialization.