Governor Wangamati’s massive investment in education paid off yesterday with the County’s Scholarship scheme producing the best student at KCSE in Western.

Ian Mwai Toyota of Kakamega School, one of the 500 pioneer students on Wangamati Scholarship, posted an A plain of 87.08 points to emerge seventh nationally and first in Western.

Other top students on the programme are Tatyana Khwaka Wabwire of Pangani Girls (84), Korir Micah Juma (82), Enrique Muchube Alberto (82), Okoyoyi Khisa Brian (82), Simiyu Wanyonyi Rodgers (81), Masinde Arthur (A), Valentine Nanjala Barasa (A) and Okumu Bethwell Hillary.

In 281 results that had been received out of the total 500 at the time of going to press, 16 students scored A, 46 students scored A- (minus), 47 scored B+ (plus), 49 scored B (plain), 56 scored B- (minus), 33 students scored C+ (plus), 22 scored C (plain) while 11 scored C- (minus).

First unveiled in 2018 to support bright kids from vulnerable backgrounds, the Wangamati Scholarship programme also produced 51 A- (minus), B+, 90 B, 110 B- and 180 C+.

In total, 300 students have qualified for direct university entry and some 150 qualifying for diploma and certificate courses.

Thanks to a co-operation between the County and Equity Bank, the 16 and any other students who will score an A will score an students will now transit to Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly Leadership Programme.

Speaking in Bungoma last year when he presided over the unveiling of the 4th Cohort of beneficiaries, Equity Bank’s Chief Executive Dr James Mwangi said all students on Wangamati Scholarship who score grade A at Form 4 will transit yo Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly internship and training programme.

The commitment followed a request by Governor Wangamati that Dr Mwangi, after whose own initiative the Bungoma County Scholarship is modeled, considers granting both work and training opportunities to some of the students on Wangamati Scholarship after their Form 4.

The new partnership now opens doors to the alumni of the Governor’s Scholarship to work at Equity Bank and access university education in Ivy league universities around the world.

Days after the KCSE results, Governor Wangamati has unveiled another 7,000 for scholarship.

Now entering its 5th year, the programme provides full year’s worth of tuition and subsequent sponsorship over the next three years in high school.

The education fund is aimed at supporting bright but needy students from the County to join schools of their choice.

The scheme’s beneficiaries are now in top flight schools including Alliance Girls and Boys, Kenya High, Pangani Girls, Friends School Kamusinga, Kapsabet Boys, Lugulu among others. Another 1,150 are now in Form 3 and Form 2 in various National and Extra County Schools.

The latest round of beneficiaries brings to 10,650 the total number of students on the Governor’s scholarship.

Besides being needy, beneficiaries are required to have scored a minimum of 350 marks at KCPE and admitted either in National or Extra County schools.

Students with special needs and those from regions with poor results are also considered for award of the County scholarship for affirmative action and equity.

This year, at least 135 students from each of the County’s 45 wards were picked for the scholarship award. In what is designed to ensure only the very deserving cases are considered for scholarships, selection for the fourth cohort, like last year’s exercise, involved impromptu home visits.

The Scholarship Scheme is part of Governor Wangamati’s push to ensure that no child from the County misses out on their school of choice on account of fees or lack thereof.

“This is the only way to lift our people out of the vicious cycle of poverty,” he told the County Assembly when he sought clearance to start the Scholarship Fund.

Addressing the students last year during the award of scholarships, Governor Wangamati gave a commitment both as a leader and as parent to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring every deserving child is kept in school.

“From today, you are not just your father’s daughter, you are not just your mother’s son, you are my sons and daughters too and children of the County,” he said.

“Your well-being and schooling is our responsibility as Government and leaders and as you seek out your dreams, you will not walk alone,” he said, adding that it’s only through education that “we shall lift our people out of the vicious cycle of poverty.”

“Through education, the son and daughter of a peasant has an equal opportunity to become what they want to be, the same way a son of a minister chooses what to be in life. Through education, the poor and vulnerable in the community have a fighting chance in life and a place on the high table of opportunities.”

He appealed for more support of the programme from people of good will, private sector, and development partners.

“For every student we pick, there are 5 or more that are left out. And even for those that are picked, the depth of poverty is so severe that basic stuff like shopping is a huge challenge to their families. And when shopping is done, there remains the challenge of subsistence when schools close,” he said.

“This is why each one of us can and should do something that supports the education of children from vulnerable backgrounds and think up strategies of empowering their families,” he said.

To ensure no child is left behind, Bungoma County is also running a Bursary Fund from which about 1,000 needy students from each of the 45 wards or 45,000 students per year across the County are each awarded a minimum of Sh10,000 for those in boarding County schools and Sh5,000 towards a feeding programme for those in day schools.

In 5 years, up to 300,000 students will have gone through the programme.

ADDITIONAL SOURCE: EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

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By WAMBOI NYAMBURA

Wamboi Nyambura is a security expert and an ardent investigative journalist on matters human interest. A crime editor at WakajuanessLive.Com.

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