Kenya Expands Elimu Scholarship Programme to Support More Needy Students

To improve access to secondary school education across Kenya, the government has significantly increased the availability of Elimu Scholarships. The program, which aims to facilitate a 100 percent transition to secondary education, has expanded the number of scholarships from 3,000 last year to 9,000.

According to Kenya News Agency, the Elimu Scholarship has been instrumental in supporting vulnerable students with comprehensive sponsorship, covering school fees, shopping, transport, and pocket money. This year, approximately 196 students from Busia County are set to benefit from the scholarship, provided by the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation.

During home visits to selected students in Amagoro village, the County Coordinator, Dr. Barasa Mayende, highlighted the scholarship’s role as an equalizer. Dr. Barasa emphasized that the scholarship’s primary goal is to provide equal opportunities for students from humble backgrounds who otherwise might miss out due to their family’s financial constraints.

Dr. Barasa further noted that the government’s expansion of the program in 2024 will allocate 7,000 slots across the 47 counties and 2,000 slots for refugee camps. Teso North District County Commissioner (DCC) Stephen Omondi Wambura echoed the importance of multiagency intervention in ensuring access to education for vulnerable segments of society.

Wambura, chair of the selection committee for Teso North, Teso South, and Teso Central subcounties, assured that mechanisms are in place to ensure the selection of deserving cases. This commitment comes in the wake of bribery attempts by two civil servants to secure scholarships for their relatives.

The Sub-County Director of Education, Elizabeth Maragachi, affirmed the fairness of the selection process and the absence of complaints. She also mentioned plans to supervise home visits and media involvement to prevent fraudulent claims.

One beneficiary, Faith Ekirapa, a student from Amagoro Primary School, was chosen based on her family’s challenging circumstances, exemplifying the program’s impact on those in dire need.

Maragachi also suggested that areas with higher poverty indexes, like Busia County, should receive more scholarship slots in the future. In response to past misconduct, the government is committed to establishing a scholarship governing body to prevent abuse of the program by high-status individuals.