A total of 16 students on Monday benefited from Wings to fly scholarship programme from Busia County courtesy of Equity Group Foundation.
Busia Equity Bank branch picked eight students with Malaba branch given similar slots.
Last year a similar number of students were picked from the County.
The successful students in 2019 scholarship programme were flagged off by Busia County Executive Committee Member for Education and Vocational Training John Mwami.
The ladies picked from Busia branch of the bank include Achieng Faith who scored 382 marks at St Joseph’s Busia Girls Primary and is set to join Butere Girls in Kakamega County.
Others are Obiba Mitchel Patience (392 marks, St Cecilia Pri, St Brigid’s Girls High Kiminini), Wesonga Lavin Faith (356, Lwanyange Pri, St Teresa’s Tartar Girls), Electine Ayango Ongonga (357, Malanga Pri, St Cecilia Misikhu Girls High).
The male include Wabwire Denis Mugenya (358, Bugengi Pri, Kibabii Boys High), Makokha Brian Odhiambo (400, Musokoto B Pri, Nakuru High), Abaka Bonphace Masinde (357, Nabuganda Pri, S.A Kolanya High) and Valentine Omoto Wesonga (371, Bukhuyi Pri, RIBE Boys High).
Those from Malaba branch include Faith Atyang Ipaat (402, Kakoli Pri, Bunyore Girls), Belinda Achakara Mulati (370, Okuleu Pri, Cardinal Otunga Girls), Centrine Amentono (356, Kodedema Pri, St Mary’s Mumias), Baraka Lafuta Otwane (402, St Teresa Chakol, St Joseph’s Chepterit Girls).
Others include Collins Onakuta (357, Adanya Pri, St Paul’s Amukura), Isaac Omondi (411, St James ACK, Kapsabet Boys), Simon Barasa Oguti (380, Aburi Pri, RIBE Boys) and Ebu Victor Okwii (389, Osipata Pri, Mbita Boys).
Equity bank Busia branch Manager Oscar Masinde said although they received a huge number of applications to the tune of 275, the most deserving pupils were selected to join the programme.
He said the bank has so far sponsored a total of 17,000 students since the launch of the programme countrywide.
He added that – the program carters for tuition, boarding fees, transport to and from school and pocket money.
The beneficiaries will undergo a three-day induction and training in Nairobi before the official commissioning of the program on January 3, 2020 by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Education Executive John Mwami and County Director of Education Thaddeus Awuor thanked Equity Bank for the sponsorship.