Top students in fierce tussle for scarce bursaries

The scramble for scholarships and bursaries by needy but bright students is on an all time high as the Form One admission commences on Monday.

The Ministry of Education has been conducting a countrywide selection process for the Elimu scholarships, which will see more vulnerable students, who sat the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination get secondary education.

The scramble has been extended to various corporate bodies which offer scholarships to bright but needy students to cater for their education, as well as bursaries dished out by the National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and county governments.

Following the completion of the selection process, the Elimu scholarship programme nationwide launch is expected tomorrow for the 9,000 successful applicants.

It comes amid calls to ensure the selection process is meticulous and that the most deserving students receive the much-needed support.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu said the government, through the ministry, has been providing full secondary education scholarships to deserving learners yearly since 2020.

This has been under Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP) and Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning (KPEEL) programme and so far, a total of 37,574 scholarships have been awarded to poor, vulnerable and marginalised learners across the country.

“I am happy to announce that the Ministry of Education through, Jomo Kenyatta Foundation and the Equity Group Foundation, is awarding a total of 14,426 Elimu Scholarships funded under the KPEEL programme in all 47 counties.

“The scholarships will be awarded to vulnerable and marginalised learners from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, who attained 280 marks and above in the 2023 KCPE examination,” said the CS.

For affirmative action, Machogu explained that candidates with special needs and disabilities who attained below 280 marks will be eligible.

The CS said refugee learners from camp-based schools, who attained 240 marks (girls) and 250 marks (boys) will also benefit from the scholarship and this will bring the number of scholarships provided by the Government to vulnerable and marginalised learners since 2020 to 52,000.

Machogu stated that the demand for the Government scholarship support under the SEQIP and KPEEL Programmes has continued to increase annually since 2020.

“The increasing demand has to be addressed to avoid further disparities in access to secondary education. I wish to therefore encourage other partners in the education sector to step in and provide scholarships to our needy learners to ensure we achieve the 100 per cent transition policy and leave no child behind in our education system,” he said.

Available scholarships

The level of need has been exhibited as thousands apply for the available scholarships. For instance, at least 55,000 students who had applied for the Equity’s Wings to Fly were not lucky to get that opportunity and were forced to look for other options.

On Sunday, Equity Group Foundation (EGF) Executive Chairman, Dr James Mwangi said 56,000 applied for scholarships but only 1,000 were selected to join this year’s programme and will be fully catered for as they join secondary schools.

It was joy for 1,000 Wings to Fly scholars, who would have missed an opportunity to join secondary school next week, as they were commissioned into the programme.

Mwangi, who presided over the event held at Pangani Girls, said the Wings to Fly is not just an education program but a platform to nurture talented minds to optimize their talents sustainably through education, coaching, and mentorship.

“I looked at the records and 56,000 applied but in this hall we only have 1,000 so it means you are in the top 1.7 per cent of all the scholars.

“I recognize your talent and competences and as you told stories of your background that made you qualify to demonstrate your needs, it shows what you have had to overcome to make it and yet very strong results. The determination and resilience is visible,” said Mwangi.

Another 352 bright students from vulnerable households will also join Form One following the sponsorship from the Tufuzu na Elimu programme by Family Group Foundation.

The group has set aside Sh90 million on scholarships for students joining secondary school this year. The scholarships, to students from 34 counties and 66 constituencies will cater for full tuition fees, school uniform and boarding fees.

Family Bank Chief Executive designate, Nancy Njau said that through the Tufuzu na Elimu programme, they have impacted more than 1,200 beneficiaries countrywide and invested over Sh300 million in education.

“Over the last 12 years, we have been intentional in ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all by impacting the very society we operate in. sector,” said the CEO. On Tuesday, a section of MPs issued a seven-day ultimatum for the Treasury to release the NG-CFD failure to which they will commence a process to impeach Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u and the Fund’s board.

Special sitting

The MPs drawn from both the Majority and Minority sides accused the National Treasury of using technicalities to delay the disbursement of the funds.

The MPs spoke even after President William Ruto announced that Sh10 billion had been released to support constituency bursaries.

The embattled NG-CDF board CEO Yusuf Mbuno had told the MPs last month that only Sh.10 billion of the Sh.44.2 billion intended to be released will be disbursed.

In a statement read after the meeting by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, the MPs warned that should the government fail to release the funds within seven days, they will call for a special sitting to discuss the conduct of the CS and the board.

“There is a CDF memo dated January 2024, directed to all CDF account managers countrywide, directing them that money cannot be released because of certain amendments to the CDF Act,” Amollo stated.

“Education is a premium assignment for Kenya. It is the most important empowerment that we can give to Kenyans. I am telling every MP that we are releasing Sh10 billion for the bursary programme in all our schools,” Ruto said.