Schools within Malava Sub-county have every reason to smile after the NG-CDF released the much awaited bursary worth of KSh45 million.
In a ceremony held at the CDF offices presided over by the area MP Malulu Injendi, he applauded the efforts the principals had put in schools to ensure learning continued despite the delay in the disbursement of the funds
“We received our first tranche of funds in January and it was only KSh10 million and we found it hard to disburse to schools as it was not enough and we decided to wait for the remaining amount which took time to materialise.
It has taken some time and I know that most of these principals have had a rough time managing the school affairs and as we give out these cheques today with many schools closing in a week’s time, let them give parents some ample time to gather school fees.
This should push schools at least for three weeks after opening before they can start sending students home,” he said.
The MP said the funds have not been enough as more new applicants are recorded each year.
“We have zeroed in on issuing KSh2,000 (lowest) to KSh5,00 0 (highest) so that we can assist as many applicants as possible.
It is not the allocation per child that matters but the cumulative amount a school will get.
The MP however took offense with the political temperatures being peddled against the bursary allocation that has seen some schools failing to apply with some leaders inciting parents against the application terming the sum given as too little (KSh2,000).
“I’m concerned with some schools that have dropped in their application allocation. I have learned that some local politics has taken centre stage where parents are convinced not to apply and this has also had an adverse effect on our education standards in the sub-county where the same people have been announcing that the sub county was number last in the county when in really sense it was position 7 out of 13. Let us stop this cheap political propaganda in our education system and instead embrace what our principals are doing in producing more students to university year in year out.”
He further called on the local administration to defend school managers from public outburst in funerals and other public gathering by his political foes who are determined to tarnish his good academic reputation.
“Let both our principals and local administration work hand in hand. If any of these people stand up in funerals and stand ridiculing our teachers and you as an administrator you are around, kindly take charge and call the principals to come and give the true version of the story so that we avoid public attacking and ejecting teachers from their stations over performance,” he added.
Malulu also applauded the Malava Boys Principal John Simiyu and her Malava Girls counterpart Rose Abuko for their persistence in uplifting their schools to adorable academic heights with many students from the two schools prospering well at the university.
“Our education standards have been good and as we speak we have four new secondary schools within the sub-county which are also part of the bursary beneficiaries and we will continue supporting the schools to grow.”
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The Kenya secondary schools heads association (KESSHA) Kakamega North Sub-county chairperson Rose Abuko lauded the continued support to CDF to schools within and urged the cooperation to continue to the betterment of the learner.
The Shamberere National Polytechnic Principal Elisha Nyamu who was the greatest beneficiary of the allocation with KSh2.2 million assured the parents and principals that the institution has now been gazetted as a national polytechnic and hence there should be no doubt whatsoever from the quarters.
The presidents through the Kenya gazette notice order number of March 10, 2024 elevated and gazetted 11 polytechnic including Shamberere to be national institutions and we want you to enroll your girls and boys for technical training.
The fund manager Collins Obuya confirmed that a total of 11,000 applicants benefitted from the exercise with the highest school getting KSh1.9 million and the least with only two applicants receiving KSh4, 000.
“Our bursary allocation was KSh45 where secondary schools got KSh27, 460,000 as colleges and universities were awarded KSh 16,490,000 and special needs got KSh1, 750,000. It is worth noting that the giant amount went to schools and colleges within the sub-county totaling to KSh22 million.
The manager urged the parents to bank the cheques and issue receipts of the same before displaying the list of beneficiaries at their various schools notice boards for the sake of transparency.
By Andanje Wakhungu
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