Kenyan bank to spend million dollars on needy students’ education

By Samuel Ouma|@journalist_27

Co-operative Bank of Kenya has announced that it will pay school fees to over 600 needy and gifted form one students.

According to the Bank’s Managing Director Gideon Muriuki, the institution has set aside $1.55 million for the programme under the Co-operative Bank Foundation Scholarship Scheme in 2020. Mr. Muriuki revealed that 420 beneficiaries have been identified by the bank’s Regional Delegates’ Forums and the remaining scholarships were awarded to 5 students per county across the country which brings the total number of beneficiaries to 655. The scholarship with cater for their secondary education.

1,088,986 students sat for 2019 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and all of them are expected to join form to pursue their secondary education latest by January 24 in line with the government’s new policy of 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school.

Announcing KCPE results in November last year, Kenya’s Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha warned parents against failing to take their children to school.

He said, “We shall go after parents and they will tell us why the children are not in school. If we find the children, we will take them to school ourselves and we will do if forcibly.”

 “We will go for parents of children who have been married off and forcibly take the children to school to ensure that all class eight candidates transit to secondary school,” added the tough-talking Magoha.

The 100 per cent transition may not be realized going by the reports by the local media of poverty stricken students whose parents cannot afford secondary school fees. Many students are yet to report to their respective schools as the deadline looms.