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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