Tears of joy, trumpets of songs and heels of dances painted the afternoon across Bungoma County when Education CS Dr. George Magokha finally announced the KCSE results.
The top ten performing candidates across the county would be incomplete had Ian Mwai Toyota from Bungoma failed to rank at number 7th nationally.
The young Toyota was among the beneficiaries of Governor’s Scholarship Programme initiated by Governor Wycliffe Wangamati in 2018.
The Scholarship Programme involves the full payment of secondary school fees by the County Government of Bungoma to top KCPE performers who come from needy backgrounds.
Toyota, who hails from Siboti Ward in Bumula Sub-County, scored a straight A (plain) at Kakamega School in Western Kenya.
Tatyana Wabwire, who remains the face of the Governor’s Scholarship Program, also scored an A after benefitting from the program at Pangani Girls.
Last year, Governor Wycliffe Wangamati trekked to Kubura, Kipsigon in Chebyuk in search of the only home that provided shelter and a degree of safety to two boys, John Kitiyo Koech and Abraham Kitiyo Kiptoo, the beneficiaries of his Scholarship, a visit that was full of tears and heart wrenching stories.
The mother to Abraham and John sank into depression in 2008 after she lost her husband at the hands of Sabaot Land Defence Forces. Christine, their aunt, took them in but was soon evicted from her land in a family dispute.
Thanks to Wangamati Scholarship, John, who sat for his Form 4 at Kapsabet High School, scored an A- in this year’s KCSE exams.
Michael Korir, who scored 395 in his KCPE scored an A after being enrolled on the Scholarship Programme at Katemwek Secretary School in Bomet County.
The second born of three kids from Kamneru in Kapkateny Ward of Mt Elgon Sub County could not wait to visit Governor Wangamati in his office on Sunday and say, “Thank You” for the opportunity.
He scored an A of 82 points in the just released KCSE. He hopes to do Medicine at the University of Nairobi.
According to the Programme data handlers, over 15 beneficiaries have scored As with hundreds of others scoring Bs.
The Scholarship Programme has been Governor Wangamati’s key flagship projects that have inspired the society.