More than 100 learners who sat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams last year in Busia County benefitted from a full special scholarship from the Busia governor Dr Paul Otuoma.
The learners drawn from all 35 wards across the county will receive school fees for the entire four years in their various schools within the county.
According to the County Executive Committee member in charge of the Department of Education Ms Beatrice Nakholi, Busia governor decided after realizing that a lot of learners who did well in their exams were still at home due to lack of school fees.
“We realized that the majority of learners who sat for their primary examination last year were yet to join secondary schools due to lack of school fees.
But under the governorship, Dr Paul Otuoma directed the department to go out there and look for the learners and allow them to go to school on a full scholarship of four years.
She added, “In collaboration with the national government we have gone for two learners from every ward across the county, we have bought them the basics and the rest will be bought by their parents and guardians.”
The CECM revealed that her department will still go out there and look for more needy children who are yet to go to school and take them to school.
“We target around 105 learners to whom we intend to give full scholarships and so far, we have given 70 learners, two from every ward. That was the minimum but there are special cases that we will be addressing from this special scholarship,” she said.
County Director Ministry of Education Mr James Ekalio noted that the transition rate in Busia County for the learners joining Form One stands at 92 percent adding that they are working with the Ministry of the Interior to mope out the learners who are yet to join Form One and grade seven.
“As of now our transition rate for form one is at 92 percent and for the Junior secondary school is at 98 percent. We are working with the Ministry of the Interior through the help of chiefs and their assistants to mop out these learners to go to school,” he said.
The wife of the Busia governor Ms Agatha Otuoma called upon Busia leaders to support the needy learners in the county to enable them to proceed with secondary education.
Addressing parents and learners during the distribution of basics to the beneficiaries, Ms Otuoma challenged the elected Members of the county assembly of Busia to work closely with other leaders in the county to promote education.
“It is my appeal to the leaders in Busia county, let us work together to make sure that we promote education in the county. This is not a thing for certain people.
Especially for the members of the county assembly, they need to be in the forefront to promote education in the county,” she said.
Novella Gift, one of the beneficiaries could not hide her joy adding that it was not easy seeing other learners proceeding to secondary and she is at home.
“I want to thank our governor for coming to our rescue. Giving us a full scholarship for four years is not something to take for granted.
I could not imagine that my classmates in primary school were joining form one and I am at home.”
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