Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi (right) joined by John Njiru Deputy Speaker , Geofrey Muceke Majority leader, Emily Nkoroi Chief Officer Education and Lawrence Mwaura MCA Ting'ang'a poses for a photo with a dummy bursary cheque.
By Felix Njenga
Worth Noting:
- “Before I came in as the governor bursary funds were being given out only once per year at Sh 100 million. Today bursary funds are being disbursed five times in a year translating to Sh 500 million. We have split the funds into five tranches of Sh 100 million. Sh 5,000 is what we are giving to our beneficiary as minimum allocation per tranche,” Wamatangi said.
- The county boss said that the fourth tranche of the funds will be released in November while the fifth tranche will be released in February next year which will ensure the Sh 500 million bursary funds distributed this financial year
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has released the third tranche of bursary forms worth Sh 100 million meant to assist needy students in the county.
Kiambu county set aside Sh500 million for bursaries for this financial year to help needy students with school fees with Wamatangi announcing that he intends to raise the bursary kitty to Sh750 million so as to reach many more needy students with school fees.
Speaking in Kiambu town at the county government headquarters during the distribution of bursary forms to the county bursary committees drawn from 60 wards that comprises the county, Wamatangi said that the minimum allocation of the beneficiary is Sh 5,000.
“Before I came in as the governor bursary funds were being given out only once per year at Sh 100 million. Today bursary funds are being disbursed five times in a year translating to Sh 500 million. We have split the funds into five tranches of Sh 100 million. Sh 5,000 is what we are giving to our beneficiary as minimum allocation per tranche,” Wamatangi said.
The county boss said that the fourth tranche of the funds will be released in November while the fifth tranche will be released in February next year which will ensure the Sh 500 million bursary funds distributed this financial year
He said that there are still problems due to the hard economic times and more parents are coming in to apply while the bursary forms are not enough.
“We understand and realize that we are in hard economic times and more parents are coming in to seek for bursary forms whereas the forms are not enough. Some parents may think that the bursary committee members are refusing to issue bursary forms which can create enemity since they know each other as they come from the same area,” he said.
He called on the bursary committee members to be on the look out for some rogue members who are out to tarnish the name of others by doing evil over issuance of bursary forms.
“In my government I want to show Kiambu people that work can be done right, fairly and truthfully and happens and be good work,” he said.
He said that despite the recommended allowances for the bursary committee set by Salaries and Remuneration Committee (SRC) the county government has seen the hard work that the bursary committees are doing of vetting and identifying the needy cases and will consider awarding them with hardship allowances going forward in the next financial year.
“We know the hard work that you are doing and we will consider adding a hardship allowance. People should know that the bursary committee work is a service one is offering and it is not a full time job with a salary that can fend for families,” he said.
He said that the education department is the most vibrant and successful department in the country as facts dictate.
He added that the department has built 109 ECDE centers which is a school establishment on its own targeting to build an ECDE center in every public school within the county.
“We are building two PP1 classrooms, two PP2 classrooms, an ablution block for both girls and boys, an administration room, a play center and a kitchen. The ECDE centers are equipped with furniture, playing equipment, electricity and will also put up technological gadgets such as pupil tablets. This is a whole school establishment,” he said.
He said by 2025 the county government is expected to have built 524 ECDE centers within the county which is a record to have been done by any other county.
He said in the ECDE centers the pupils are being fed with eggs three days in a week, Fortified porridge five days of the week and every Thursdays they are being fed with their favourite flavoured yoghurt milk.
Rosemary Kirika deputy governor said that encouraged the bursary committee members to ensure they apply the highest standards of accountability to ensure that they prioritize the most vulnerable cases.
“This will help us to avoid dropouts which can have long term effects in our society,” she said.
Lawrence Mwaura Tinganga ward MCA and charperson education committee in Kiambu county assembly said that as a committee they have ensured that they have upheld the Governor’s promise to Kiambu people of not leaving any child behind.
“We have ensured that we legislate and pass a budget that will ensure no child is left behind in terms of education. The actions of the governor has shown that he has gone beyond being and executive but also as a parent to the children of kiambu by providing bursaries and ensuring they stay in school through having a robust feeding program for ECDE pupils,” Mwaura said.
John Njiru MCA hospital ward Thika and deputy speaker Kiambu county assembly took issue with public primary schools which have been adamant for the county government to build ECDE centers saying that they are denying children right to education.
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