At least 183 learners from Homa Bay County have received full secondary school sponsorship under the Elimu Scholarship Programme, a national government initiative supported by the World Bank.
The Elimu Scholarship Programme is aimed at supporting needy but academically promising learners transitioning to senior secondary school, with the goal of ensuring that no child misses out on education due to financial constraints.
The beneficiaries, who are transitioning to senior secondary school (Grade 10), were officially flagged off on Thursday during a ceremony held at Homa Bay High School, presided over by County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi.
During the event, the learners received essential school items including dictionaries, atlases, metal boxes, blankets, bedsheets, calculators, sets and uniforms, as well as personal effects such as soap, toothpaste and brushes, tissues, shoe polish, shoes, roll-ons, detergent and sanitary towels.
Mwiwawi emphasised that the initiative is aimed at ensuring that no child misses school due to poverty, particularly during the transition to senior secondary education.
“This is a government programme in partnership with the World Bank targeting learners moving to Grade 10. Our goal is to ensure that all school-going children are in school for their future betterment,” said Mwiwawi.
He warned against cases where children drop out of school to engage in fishing along the lakeshore, or fall into drug abuse due to lack of school fees, noting that the government will conduct a mop-up exercise to ensure all eligible learners are enrolled.
“We do not want to see our children in the lake fishing or engaging in drugs under the excuse of lack of fees. This programme is a clear message to parents that poverty should not be a barrier to education,” he added.
The CC also cautioned school administrators against demanding extra levies from parents, insisting that no additional money is required for admission.
“If any school demands extra money, parents should report such cases to the County Director of Education so that the matter can be addressed. We do not want any obstacle standing in the way of a child’s education,” he said.
Mwiwawi further urged beneficiaries to maintain discipline, warning that social vices such as drug abuse and homosexuality pose a threat to learners’ academic progress.
Homa Bay County Director of Education Eunice Khaemba said that they had conducted a rigorous and transparent selection to shortlist the most deserving learners for the scholarship and that the whole process involved applications, vetting, shortlisting, interviews and home visits.
“The cases you see here are genuinely needy, though they are not the only ones. We received thousands of applications but were only able to support 183 learners due to limited resources,” said Khaemba.
She called on development partners and well-wishers to support government efforts in promoting equity in education, noting that free day secondary education is available and parents are only required to provide uniforms.
“No child should stay at home because they were placed in a boarding school. Day secondary schools are free, and we are ready to help with placement to ensure no learner misses school,” she said.
A representative from Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, Geoffrey King’oro explained that the foundation has a long history of supporting education through publishing and scholarships since its establishment in 1966.
He noted that the foundation was selected by the government to administer the World Bank-funded Elimu Scholarship Programme due to its experience in managing education scholarships.
“This is a full scholarship. We cater for school fees, transport, pocket money and other needs. Eventually, beneficiaries will receive prepaid student cards to access their funds,” said King’oro.
The Elimu Scholarship Programme was first piloted in 2023 and has since expanded, supporting thousands of learners across the country including 256 slots allocated to Homa Bay County in previous phases.
At the same time, in Mbita Sub-County, where the programme was also rolled out, 38 students benefited following a highly competitive and transparent selection process.
Mbita Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Peter Mutiso who flagged off the exercise held at the Mbita Education Office said the programme benefited learners drawn from Mbita, Suba West, Suba Central and Suba South sub-counties.
“Out of the 890 applicants who applied for the programme across the four sub-counties, only 38 students were selected due to the limited number of available slots, underscoring the high level of need among learners in the region,” he said.
Mutiso encouraged the beneficiaries to remain disciplined and focused on their studies, urging them to make good use of the opportunity accorded to them by the government.
“This scholarship is meant to support bright but needy learners. I urge you to work hard, remain disciplined and ensure that you use this opportunity to change your lives and those of your families,” said Mutiso.
He noted that despite the limited number of beneficiaries, the need within Suba County remains high and called for continued collaboration between the government and development partners to expand access to education for vulnerable learners.
Mutiso also commended the selection committee for conducting the exercise with transparency and fairness, assuring parents and the community that the beneficiaries were selected purely on merit and need.
By Sitna Omar
