It is a relief to students and parents in Kisumu County after an advocate of the High Court of Kenya offered to pay school fees to students as schools resume next week.
Advocate Fred Odumo Nying'uro said he steps in to address the financial barrier that has kept many students out of school in the county.
Odumo said the programme, under his "Leave No Child Behind" initiative is aimed at providing educational assistance to the vulnerable, underprivileged and needy young boys and girls in the county.
"We are in the second phase of the pilot program whose focus is to provide complimentary educational assistance to academically bright and needy students," he said.
A total of 68 students drawn from four sub-counties of Kisumu East, Seme, Nyakach and Kisumu West will benefit from a Sh3,000 each towards their second-term school fees.
Odumo made it clear that he is targeting students who are enrolled in Day Secondary schools within Kisumu County.
"Most of the students enrolled in Day schools come from low-income families and that is why I am stepping," he said.
He said the process to identify the beneficiaries was transparent and rigorous, conducted by a team of coordinators in the sub-counties.
The advocate, who is also a politician and has set his eyes on the Kisumu Senatorial position in 2027 says lack of financials has kept many students out of class.
He announced that the benefiting students would be deposited directly into the school's accounts.
"We plan to issue the students and parents with the bank slips at a later get-together meet," Odumo said.
He challenged the students to work hard in school and be able to lend a hand to other needy students in future.
"The students must remain alive to the adage that, education is our passport to the future for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today," he said.
The initiative was rolled out in the Nyando subcounty before being conducted in Muhoroni as it rolled to other parts of the county.
