288 Kisumu students who sat KCPE get Elimu Yetu scholarship

A total of 288 students who sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education last year have been picked for the government-sponsored Elimu Yetu scholarship program.

This is out of over 3000 applications made for the scholarship within the county.

According to the Kisumu County Director of Education Rosemary Birenge, few applicants were selected due to limited funds.

Birenge said the students were successfully interviewed before being picked for the full scholarships adding that there was a high level of transparency in their selection and those chosen deserved.

She said when they were going out in the fields, they saw that there were so many students who needed assistance but it was unfortunate and saddening that they had to leave others who equally needed assistance.

"Even as we thank the government, I pray that God will give us more money to be able to sponsor more students and more families within the county and nation as a whole."

Birenge told the beneficiaries that they were a special lot and should feel that they were much loved by the government.

She further encouraged them to work hard, be committed and focused within their schools and at the same time know how and why they went to the school to emerge the best at the end of the years.

Solomon Juma, Kisumu county coordinator for the Elimu scholarship noted that this year, the national government is awarding scholarships of up to 11,000 beneficiaries across the country.

Juma said they were allocated 288 slots for Kisumu county.

They were speaking at Nyamasaria Primary on Thursday during the flagging off of the beneficiaries who were selected by the community advisory committee and identified to be the most vulnerable amongst the communities within the county.

Juma said the government would provide the successful applicants with stipends, transport, and other assorted items.

He said the students would be monitored throughout their studies.

Since its inception, the Elimu scholarship program has touched the lives of over 55,000 students across the country.