Gov Obado launching the scholarship programme at Migori Primary School in the last event

By Nicholas Anyuor

More than 700 students from needy families in Migori County, starting January next year, will benefit from Sh80 million allocated by the county government in the governor’s scholarship programme.

The initiative, that targets mostly orphaned children from poor backgrounds, was started three years ago by Governor Zachary Okoth Obado in efforts to improve literacy level and to eventually reduce poverty in the region.

The programme is aimed to benefit the bright but needy students who score at least 350 marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations. Five such pupils are selected from every ward in all the 40 wards giving a total of 200 beneficiaries annually.

Already, the county’s department of Education, Youths and Sports has begun the process of selecting the new entrants from this year’s KCPE examination results.

“We have started the process of selecting new entrants to the programme. The forms are at the ward offices county-wide and we urge pupils who scored at least 350 marks and are indeed needy, most preferably total orphans to go and apply,” said Education Director, Lazarus Ogutu.

He said the exercise will remain transparent since vetting committees have been constituted at the ward levels and selection is done in public with assistance from members of the public who know the children’s backgrounds.

Since its inception, the Governor’s Scholarship is already benefiting 600 students in different secondary schools and the ongoing selection is expected to raise the number to 800. The county spends Sh20 million on every group of 200 students.

“Currently the number is 600 and after selecting the fresh beneficiaries we shall now have a total of 800 students benefiting at a cost of Sh80 million. This is one of the legacies I will leave behind for the people of Migori. I am targeting total orphans who again come from poor backgrounds,” said Governor Obado.

Obado said the programme was initiated in order to promote literacy level in Migori County and to eventually reduce poverty in the region.

“If we educate our children, we are sure of reducing poverty. Most of the students in the programme are performing wonderfully in secondary schools and I am happy in the next few years we shall have our doctors, engineers, pilots, teachers, journalists, among others. I will be happy,” he added.

According to Kenya Interagency Rapid Assessment, 2015, already Migori is ranked 13 out of 47 counties on school attendance of students of 15-18 years at 79.6 per cent which is higher compared to the national at 70.1 per cent.