Murang'a: Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata has emphasised the need to prioritise the education sector in the country. He stated that allowing counties to continue issuing bursaries to needy students will enable more children to access education. Speaking at Ihura Stadium in Murang'a Town on Sunday, Governor Kang'ata said that education must be one of the top priorities in national development. 'As the government commits to various projects such as roads and hospitals which are important, the first thing we have to do is prioritize education. It is through education that we get engineers, pilots, doctors and all the professionals that serve in the other sectors.' He said.
According to Kenya News Agency, Murang'a has become the first county to dispense bursaries after the Controller of Budget allowed counties to continue issuing them and he divulged that the county's Bursaries and Scholarship Fund supports more than 50,000 needy students. He explained that The Inua Masomo Programme, which is an educational initiative launched by the Murang'a County Government, aims to enhance access to education while promoting academic excellence among students in public day secondary schools. 'Under this programme, the county fully covers one term's school fees for the top ten students in Forms 2, 3, and 4 across all public day secondary schools within the county.' Kang'ata said.
He added that by selecting top-performing students each term, the programme encourages continuous academic improvement and increases transition rates to higher levels of education. 'Inua masomo not only alleviates the financial burden on families but also fosters healthy academic competition among students.' He noted. According to Kang'ata, the initiative also promotes transparency in bursary allocation by eliminating vetting committees, therefore ensuring that only deserving students benefit based on their academic performance.
The governor noted that the programme strengthens the local economy by retaining education funds within the county. The programme currently benefits over 7,000 students every school term, with plans to recruit new beneficiaries regularly so as to sustain its mission of making education accessible to all while encouraging excellence through rewards for top performers. The county also issued bursaries to the beneficiaries of the Nyota Zetu Programme, an initiative of the former county government, which provides bursaries to students in boarding schools.
The bursary issuance event brought together over 9,000 parents and guardians from the Inua Masomo, PwD and Orphans, and Nyota Zetu programmes, who gathered at Ihura Stadium for the issuance of second-term bursaries worth over Sh. 50 million.