This archive report was first published on 21 June 2021.
Prof George Magoha, the Education Cabinet Secretary, has made a significant announcement regarding the government-sponsored Elimu scholarship program. As of June 21, 2021, the government will admit all beneficiaries of the program to boarding schools.
Magoha made this announcement during a visit to the Bangladesh slum in Mombasa, where he met with some of the beneficiaries. He stated that no beneficiary will be allowed to study in a day school, and those who have already received admission letters for day schools will be readmitted to full-time boarding schools.
The Elimu scholarship program is a government-run education scholarship funded by the World Bank through the Ministry of Education and the Equity Group Foundation. The program targets 9,000 vulnerable pupils and aims to improve secondary education in Kenya. The scholarship covers school fees, transport, and learning materials.
Magoha emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring that all beneficiaries of the scholarship program attend boarding schools, where everything is catered for, including uniforms and transport. He also stated that the program is transformative and will be done transparently.
During his visit to the Bangladesh slum, Magoha met with 62 bright pupils from poor backgrounds who had been awarded scholarships to pursue secondary education through the Elimu program. These pupils had surpassed 280 marks in their 2020 KCPE exams and were identified as being in need of support.
Magoha also announced that the government is contemplating increasing the number of beneficiaries in future to meet the demand. He expressed his intention to persuade the President to authorize an additional 18,000 learners, 9,000 for next year and 9,000 for the following year, which would result in a total of 36,000 learners benefiting from the program.
