Hope for over 9,000 students in Sh20b scholarship project

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha.

An ambitious scholarship programme to benefit 9,000 candidates who sat Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations this year has been launched.

The joint venture between the Government and the World Bank dubbed the Secondary Quality Education Project (SEQIP), will complement other ongoing initiatives. 

The SEQIP project will cost Sh20 billion with the Elimu Scholarship costing Sh3 billion and a further Sh8.2 billion going to construction of classrooms and laboratories to aid in the ongoing 100 per cent transition dream.

Details released yesterday show that the Elimu Scholarship, will run through Equity Group Foundation and will draw applicants from 110 targeted sub-counties and 15 urban centres with informal settlements, to poor and vulnerable children from financially constrained backgrounds.

Render them destitute

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha said beneficiaries will be students who attained 280 marks and above in KCPE. 

“For affirmative action, candidates who are orphans and/or from vulnerable communities and those with special needs and disabilities who attained below 280 marks may be considered,” say the guidelines.

Only the candidates who sat KCPE examinations in public primary schools in the targeted areas will be eligible to apply, the Ministry said. 

The 110 targeted sub-counties are as per the National Government Administrative areas that existed in 2015. 

The list of the targeted sub-counties and the 15 urban centres with informal settlements can be accessed through the Ministry of Education and Equity Group Foundation websites; www.education.go.ke and https://egfdmis.equitybank.co.ke/register_elimu

Candidates with special needs and disabilities (Physical, hearing and visual impairments, autism, albinism, learning disabilities and others) will be encouraged to apply for the scholarshps. A total of 2,400 candidates with special needs sat KCPE.

Other legible applicants are orphans and vulnerable children, candidates from vulnerable communities in the target sub-counties and candidates from urban centres with informal settlements.

Candidates whose parents/guardians are living with disabilities that have compromised their ability to meet financial obligations or those whose families are affected by HIV/Aids and other chronic illnesses with debilitating effects that could render them destitute and unable to fend for their families are also eligible to apply for the scholarship.

Other candidates to be considered will be those whose families are affected by extreme poverty.

“Candidates that have suffered from neglect, abuse and have no support to continue with their education will also be legible for the scholarships,” the application guidelines said.

Interested applicants are advised to collect the scholarship application forms from the nearest Equity Bank Branch or Equity Bank Agent. 

Submitted

Application forms can also be downloaded from the Ministry of Education and Equity Group Foundation websites; www.education.go.ke and https://egfdmis.equitybank.co.ke/register_elimu

The duly completed application forms and supporting documents should be submitted to the nearest Equity Bank Branch by December 16.

Shortlisted candidates accompanied by parents/guardians will be invited for interviews to be conducted by the Community Scholarship Advisory Committees. The scholarship caters for school fees, transport to and from school, learning materials and school kit for beneficiaries for the four-year education period. 

Releasing the KCPE results in Nairobi on November 18, Prof Magoha said the Elimu Scholarship will also ensure girls are supplied with free sanitary towels for the full period of their secondary school education.