Lamu, KENYA: At least 7000 students in Lamu county are set to benefit from a Sh.60 Million bursary issued by the county government.
Speaking when he issued the cheques at the Mwana Arafa hotel in Lamu town, deputy governor Abdulhakim Aboud who is also the CEC for education in the county said the annual bursary allocation had been increased from Sh.60 Million to Sh.120 Million.
He said the Sh.60 Million issued in the first tranche will go toward clearing fee balances for secondary school students in at least 457 schools both or learners within and outside the county.
“We shall also have a small percentage of this money go towards clearing fee arrears for 303 university students pursuing major courses outside Lamu,” said Aboud.
On average, every student in boarding schools within Lamu received Sh 10,000 while those in day schools were allocated Sh 6000 per student.
Lamu students in national schools within Lamu County including those in Mpeketoni and Lamu Girls Secondary schools were given Sh 43,000 while those in national schools outside Lamu were given Sh 53,000 each.
He said the second tranche of Sh.60 Million will be issued in September to towards the education of those in universities and other tertiary institutions.
“The money will immediately be channeled to bank accounts of the respective schools which benefited from this allocation so that students in those institutions can learn. We hope to issue another Sh 30 million to cater fees for students in tertiary institutions by September this year. We are aware that some parents are poor and that’s the reason why the county government is prioritizing education here,” said Aboud.
The deputy governor said the objective of the county government is to ensure no one misses school or the chance to learn due to fees and appealed to school heads to cooperate with them.
County Education Chief Officer Shee Sagara accused school heads of frustrating efforts to keep students in school by sending them home for fees despite an existing agreement not to.
He appealed to the school heads to respect pledges made by the county government in as far as students’ fee payment is concerned.
“Unfortunately, some head teachers continue the notorious habit of sending home students for fees without the slightest consideration to efforts being made by both the county government and even the parent to ensure students stay in school. All this is done to tarnish the image of the county government by portraying as if it’s doing nothing. That should stop,” said Sagara.
