More than 5,000 needy and bright secondary students in Muhoroni constituency, Kisumu county, have benefited from Sh30 million bursary.
The beneficiaries were from Ombeyi, Chemelil/Tamu, Muhoroni/Koru, Masogo/Nyangoma and Miwani wards.
MP Onyango Koyoo said the money has been disbursed to 5,048 students courtesy of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
Koyoo, who presided over the disbursement of the bursary at Muhoroni and Achego primary schools, said beneficiaries include students in day and boarding schools, and those with disability.
The disbursed cheques were picked by various school principals.
The MP was accompanied by Muhoroni deputy county commissioner Stephen Emajong, Muhoroni subcounty education director Samuel Owinyi and other education stakeholders.
In day schools, 3,462 students benefited from Sh13.8 million, and Sh15.8 million for 1,586 learners in boarding schools.
Koyoo urged school principals in Muhoroni to focus on quality education.
“We want to transform Muhoroni into an education hub. The main objective is to produce professionals in various cadres,” he said.
Koyoo said all those who qualify for professional courses at the end of four years will have their education fully sponsored.
Besides bursary, the MP said the NG-CDF will buy three buses for Prof Ayiecho Obumba secondary (Ombeyi), Ngere Kagoro secondary (Masongo Nyangoma) and Oginga Odinga Tamu secondary (Chemelil Tamu).
In February, he disbursed Sh3.5 million to 61 students joining Form 1 in national schools.
The MP initiated the scheme in 2014. He said Muhoroni constituency has produced a number of professionals.
Koyoo said his mission is to enable Muhoroni to produce top lawyers, doctors, engineers and other professionals through the sponsorships he has initiated.
Students who benefited from the fund are pursuing courses like architecture, medicine, law and engineering.
The MP said his office has been tracking the performance of the students under the programme.
“The statistics in the CDF office indicate that most of the sponsored students have joined universities," he said.
The bursary fund is disbursed in five categories; national schools, special-course universities, vulnerable students, colleges, universities and secondary schools.
He said university students will continue getting support. Koyoo urged the beneficiaries to work hard and be disciplined.
“The programme is the best example of the bottom-up model where children from poor families are uplifted through education,” he said.
Emajong urged parents to focus on educating their children, saying the government is committed to ensuring every child gets education.
