The Murang’a county government has issued bursaries worth Sh118 million to over 3,000 learners to improve access to education.
The bursaries include Sh15,000 to all top five KCPE candidates in all public primary schools and Sh10,000 to every orphaned child set to join secondary school.
Another Sh2 million was disbursed to each of the 35 wards under the wards bursary programme for issuance by MCAs.
The bursaries programme, Governor Irungu Kang’ata said, is an improvement of the Nyota Zetu Scholarship programme initiated by his predecessor Mwangi Wa Iria.
Started in 2019, the scholarship programme benefitted 1,000 Form 1 students every year who would then be supported through their secondary school education.
It targeted bright but needy students who received admission from boarding schools who were identified by primary school teachers, clergy and administrators. Each of the students received Sh20,000 every term.
The former governor had said the programme was aimed at sealing loopholes left by bursaries issued by NG-CDF that forced some students to drop out of school due to insufficient funds.
Lack of funds, he said, had seen learners from poor backgrounds miss out on chances to join extra-county schools and their places were taken by students from able families who did not perform as well in exams but could raise the hefty fees.
The first batch of beneficiaries sat for the KCSE in 2022 with Kang’ata pledging to ensure students who were already benefiting from the programme are supported.
But Kang’ata has modified the programme to include day secondary school students and increased the number of beneficiaries.
Kang’ata said the scholarship programme was susceptible to manipulation but that the bursary programme automatically benefits the top candidates and promotes competition among learners.
“This programme benefits all parts of the county and ensures all areas feel the impact of county resources,” the governor said at Mumbi grounds during the County Education Day.
Kang’ata further noted that by factoring only bright students, the scholarship programme disadvantaged equally deserving learners who scored less marks.
“Joining extra-county schools is good but we have some local day schools that are doing very well,” he said, citing Karega day school in Kigumo that had 100 students score C+ (plus) and above.
Others such as Ngurwe-ini, Muthithi and Vidhu Ramji secondary schools had 22, 27 and 22 candidates score C+ (plus) and above respectively despite the fact that they charge significantly less fees.
Kang’ata also issued Sh1,040,000 to two Don Orione community training centres situated in Kandara and Gaturi, and which train children with special needs.
Kigumo MP Joseph Munyoro appealed to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, who was in attendance, to support Karega Secondary School that does not have sufficient infrastructure to support the number of Form 1 learners set to join it.
The school has an incomplete administration block that requires Sh3.8 million.
"If the ministry supports the school, then the NG-CDF funds that I will allocate for the school can go towards another project in the school,” Munyoro said, noting that the NG-CDF will also be disbursing bursaries.
The MP further announced that the county government had pledged to allocate land for the construction of a new Kenya Medical Training College campus in his constituency.
Kangema MP Peter Kihungi urged the governor to second some medical staff to KMTC Kangema campus to operationalise it and increase Kangema hospital’s bed capacity.
Maragua MP Mary Waithera urged the county government to consider increasing the bursary funds disbursed to students, especially those in boarding schools, to help them clear their fees.
Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu called on the county to employ more ECDE teachers on permanent terms and increase their salaries.
CS Machogu praised Kang’ata for his interventions in the education sector, saying day secondary school students accounted for 67 per cent of all students in the country with national schools and extra-county schools each constituting one per cent.
Machogu pledged to visit Karega day school that led all day schools in the county and support its infrastructure while Don Orione institutions will receive government financial support.
