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Over 5,000 students benefit from Thika CDF Bursary allocation worth sh. 20m.

Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina (in a cap) issuing a cheque to some parents on behalf of the rest of the parents during the 2018 bursary disbursement at General Kago Primary School on May 1.

Thika Town Constituency NG–CDF has disbursed bursaries worth Ksh. 20 million to 5,200 students mainly from poor backgrounds.

Unlike in the previous exercises where each student received individual cheque, this year’s disbursement saw cheques addressed to schools bearing the total amount of fees accrued to them and a list of all the beneficiaries. All the parents got from the office was a letter (or and an SMS) of acknowledgement indicating the name of the beneficiaries and the amount allocated.

“This year we have allocated money to all those who applied for bursaries. The amount to be given to students have been worked out in relation to the schools’ categories with the national schools getting the lion’s share in terms of individual allocations,” explained the Thika NG–CDF Chairperson Mr. Huruko Njau.

The highest allocation was sh. 18,000 with the majority receiving an average of sh. 5,000 each.
Notwithstanding, all orphans and venerable children got full bursary, including all those that were benefitting previously in the previous regime.

1,220 college and university students and 56 from special schools also benefitted from this year’s allocation.

Speaking during the occasion that was held at General Kago Primary School, area MP Eng. Patrick Wainaina who was the chief guest promised to relook into special cases where parents and ensure that no child failed to attend school due to lack of school fees.

Wainaina reminded the parents that receiving the NG–CDF bursaries was the right every child and no one should use these allocations to play politics or as a dangling carrot to win support.

“This is your money and we should never play politics with the lives of our children. Those who feel that they still have a burning issue with the bursaries, our offices are wide open and we welcome any genuine cases for further considerations even if it means soliciting funds from well-wishers to ensure that all students go to school,” said the MP.

He however warned principals and heads of public day schools within the constituency against charging fees exceeding the recommended sh. 3,000 annually saying that his office was following up on cases reported to the effect that some of these schools were charging over sh. 8,000.

“In the next one week or so, we are going to convene a meeting with all the teachers and parents from these schools and discuss the matter in details. If there is a matter that needs the CDF attention we will chip in but we will not allow heads of schools to exploit the already overburdened parents,” he said.

The legislator also promised to partner with local companies to all adopt the area public schools with a view to improve on their infrastructure and make them conducive for learning.

He added that his CDF office had already allocated sh. 3 million to General Kago Primary School which was in a deplorable state.

Thika West sub-county Director of Education Ronald Mbogo appealed to parents to take responsibility to provide their children with the basic necessities and urged them not to shy away from ‘knocking doors’ in pursuit for financial assistance that would help them ensure that all school going children stayed in schools at all times.

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