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Post Date: December 20, 2022
WANGA LAUNCHES BURSARY FUND AND GOVERNOR’S FINS TO SWIM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Governor Gladys Wanga has announced the launch of the Governors Fins to Swim Scholarship Programme, which aims to provide financial assistance to bright and needy students in the county.
Speaking to the press during the launch, the Governor stated that to be eligible for the scholarship, students must have scored a minimum of 350 marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam and have been admitted to a national, extra county, or county secondary school.
“The scholarship program will also prioritize special groups such as children with disabilities and teenage mothers returning to school,” said Governor Wanga.
The county boss, further revealed that the Cabinet has approved the establishment of the County Scholarship Committee, which will be chaired by leading education experts including the County Executive Committee Member for Education, Hon. Martin Opere, the County Secretary, Prof. Bernard Muok, representatives from non-state actors, the private sector, and persons with disabilities, while adhering to the two thirds gender rule.
Scholarship forms will be available in public offices and will be processed by the Ward Bursary Committee, which will submit information for final vetting and approval by the County Scholarship Committee.
According to the Governor, the scholarship program has a budget of Kshs 30 million, and the department of education aims to implement transparent and corruption-free processes in the management of bursary and scholarship funds in Homa Bay County.
“All eligible students are encouraged to apply and the county government will make the scholarship forms available in public offices and the county website; free-of-charge,” Wanga said.
She added: “At no point shall there be requirement for processing fees to get a scholarship award.”
In addition, The Governor announced a cabinet resolution approving the establishment of a Kshs 100 million Bursary fund geared at enhancing retention of students, giving better literacy outcomes for the county and fighting poverty through investment in education.
The Bursary fund will be administered as per the Homa Bay County Education Bursary Fund Act, 2015.
“The Cabinet approved that Kshs 2.5 million will be spent in every ward with each student awarded Kshs 5,000. Each Ward will have 500 beneficiaries thus a total of 20,000 students targeted for support,” Wanga said.
She said the Department of Education will oversee a transparent process with very robust public participation starting at the village level, sub-location, ward and sub-county committees.
“With the institutional set up we are ready to issue the bursary application forms and they will be picked and submitted between 21st December, this year and the 3rd of January, 2023.”