Girls have taken the lion’s share of Elimu scholarship Fund slots in Busia County that has benefitted 483 students out of 9000 across the country.
Equity Group which is running the program on behalf of the National Government and using the Wings to fly model, released the list of beneficiaries through its Busia and Malaba Branches.
The beneficiaries on Thursday started a three-day induction course at Magnet School after successful interviews and home visits for those who applied for the scholarship.
A total of 265 girls were selected after rigorous process that took one week compared to 218 slots for boys.
The number of girls was more than boys in all the seven sub counties.
Teso North Sub County with 123 beneficiaries has 68 girls compared to 55 boys; Teso South has 48 girls and 39 boys, Matayos (38 girls and 32 boys), Butula (34 girls and 28 boys), Samia (28 girls and 25 boys), Nambale (25 girls and 20 boys) and Bunyala (24 girls and 19 boys).
Elimu Scholarship program is a National government run education scholarship funded by the World Bank through the Ministry of Education and the Equity Group Foundation.
A total of 9000 students in 110 Sub Counties across the country will benefit from the program.
Top performers in KCPE and beneficiaries of the Program include Eunice Awino who scored 424 marks at St Teresa Girls and joined Kipsigis Girls High School.
Others are Shelton Mwamba Odhiambo who scored 422 marks to secure a place at the prestigious Maranda Boys High, Kevin Mukanda Osiketi (414, Bulanda Pri, Friends School Kamusinga (FSK)), Rebecca Adhiambo Oduor (413, St Joseph Busia Girls, Loreto Girls Limuru), Opiyo Mercy Atieno (411, Bujumba Primary (The Kenya High School), Asudi Davirance Devis (402, Moody Awuor Pri, FSK), and Mohammed Aziz (400, Bujwanga Pri, Maranda Boys).
The disabled boy from Lugulu village in Butula Sub County, whose condition got media attention, recently is one of the beneficiaries of the fund.
He scored 396 marks at Lugulu AC Primary to land a place at Maranda Boys.
“ I am delighted to be one of the beneficiaries of the Elimu Scholarship Fund, I scored 344 marks at Busibwabo Primary and I will join my dream school St. Anne’s Sega Girls in Siaya County; I promise to work hard during my four year academic journey,” said Lydia Awuor.
The scholarship seeks to improve secondary education in Kenya; it takes care of school fees, transport and learning materials.
Education Executive John Mwami has thanked the National Government for the kind gesture to help the County Government and other stakeholders in sponsoring the needy access secondary education.
He said the number of beneficiaries has increased in 2019/2020 financial year.
Mwami added that the County bursary process is on-going for it to be rolled out soon.