A total of 7,284 students from vulnerable families in Elgeyo Marakwet County have received a major boost in their pursuit of education after the county government disbursed Sh73 million in bursaries to support their learning.
The bursary funds, issued by Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich, will benefit students enrolled in secondary schools, Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, colleges and universities across the country.
Speaking during the official handover of bursary cheques to schools, colleges, and universities, Rotich said the financial support would ease the burden faced by many families struggling to meet education costs.
“Today, we officially handed over cheques to schools, colleges and universities whose students benefited from our bursary allocation. Despite a delay in disbursement following prolonged consultations with the Controller of Budget, a total of Sh73 million has been released to schools, benefiting 7,284 students,” he said.
The governor emphasized that bursaries play a critical role in promoting equity in access to education by ensuring that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are not left behind.
“The bursary funds will ensure that students, regardless of their background, access equal education opportunities and that completion rates increase,” he noted.
Rotich revealed that the latest disbursement brings the total bursary funds issued by his administration over the last four years to Sh321 million, benefiting 28,972 students across various learning institutions.
“From 2023 to date, we have disbursed Sh320,967,898 to 28,972 students in secondary schools including junior and senior schools, VTCs, TVETs, colleges, and universities,” he said.
In addition to the bursaries, the county government released Sh25 million as capitation for Vocational Training Centres and Sh28 million for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres.
According to the Governor, the capitation funds will benefit 1,217 VTC students and 27,400 ECDE learners across the county.
“Capitation enhances pupil and student enrolment and retention in schools while improving the quality of learning in our institutions,” he added.
He concluded that the county administration has continued to prioritize education, as a key pillar of development, with increased investment, aimed at improving access, retention and completion rates among learners.
By Rennish Okong’o
