Category: Technology

Over 3,600 students across Kajiado East constituency have benefitted from bursaries totaling Sh 18 million courtesy of the National Government Constituency Development Fund(NG-CDF).

Speaking in Kitengela while issuing the bursary cheques, Area Member of Parliament Kakuta Ole Maimai said that he had allocated Sh 56 million for bursaries in the 2023/2024 financial year but he only got 30 percent of the amount from the national treasury.

He noted that though the amount is little, he has decided to distribute it considering the desperate situation of his constituents given the harsh economic times being witnessed in the country.

‘Every child’s future is important regardless of their background and they ought to achieve their dreams. Total empowerment comes through education and if we empower our young people, we will have a better Kenya tomorrow,’ he said.

While encouraging the parents to take their children to school whether they have other basic necessities like school uniforms or not, the MP also urged the
teachers to allow all the learners in school so that every child can access education.

Maimai revealed that he has involved members of all communities living in the constituency in the bursary allocation committee to ensure transparency.

Johnson Maina, a parent whose student benefited from the bursary was thankful for the help saying it will go a long way in helping his child stay.

‘We mostly depend on casual labor to fend for our needs and the economy is really tough. Though the amount is little, it is better than none. We however urge the government to increase the allocation for more impact as in my case I have five children in secondary schools and my little earnings cannot sustain all of them,’ said Rose Adeka, a parent in Kitengela.

Elizabeth Mutunkei reiterates Adeka’s sentiments and adds that many children have not yet reported to school due to lack of school fees and the situation can only change if the government allocates more funds for bursaries as the recent drought ravaged their livestock wh
ich they solely depended on.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Nakuru County Assembly Majority leader Alex Lang’at has mobilized his friends from the United Kingdom (UK) to support and expand the health facilities in Rongai sub-county.

Speaking today at the Sumeek Dispensary in his Mosop ward, the MCA said the health facility has been a steadfast provider of outpatient services for decades, serving the community with dedication and care.

He commended the county government for the significant boost with the construction of a modern maternity wing, which has reduced the long-distance mothers have to travel to access health facilities.

While at the dispensary accompanied by his friends from the UK, Lang’at said he was making a personal initiative to further improve the facility and bring all the healthcare services closer to his people.

The County Executive Member for Health, Ms Roselyn Mungai lauded the collaborative efforts between the executive and legislative branches of the local government.

She said the department of health continues to prioritize engagement
with healthcare professionals in order to address challenges faced by the frontline workers. And, efforts are underway to identify scalable best practices and devise solutions to common hurdles that impact service delivery.

She said since the beginning of the year they have embarked on visits to various health centres to create a platform for healthcare workers to share their perspectives and highlight areas in need of improvement.

‘By soliciting feedback directly from those on the frontline, the department of health can better identify obstacles and implement targeted strategies to overcome them,” she said.

Ms Mungai said by fostering a culture of open communication and partnership, the county was working towards a healthcare system that is responsive, resilient, and focused on meeting the needs of the residents.

The Assembly Majority leader confirmed that the department of health has been the best performing in the county, and they have attracted a number of stakeholders who are willing to support them
to greater heights.

Lang’at added that a number of counties have benchmarked their progress, and wananchi are excited by the devolution of health services, since they are no longer carrying patients on wheelbarrows as was the case in the past.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ministry of Education has instructed the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to extend the application for placement in higher learning institutions to March 4, this year.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said the seven days extension will enable the remaining applicants to get a chance to submit their choices both to universities and colleges.

KUCCPS opened its application portal on February 7, this year to allow the 2023 Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates and other eligible Kenyans to apply for opportunities in higher learning institutions.

The initial application deadline was February 22, 2024, but it was later extended to February 26, 2024, an indication that as of February, 2024, at least 70 percent of all the targeted applicants with C+ and above had applied for placement.

In a press statement sent to newsrooms, CS Machogu said the Ministry of Education projects that a total of 171, 738 candidates who sat for the 2023 Kenya Certi
ficate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and obtained grade C+ and above will apply for placement in the country’s institutions of higher learning, which accounts for 86 percent.

‘The remaining 14 percent are expected to seek opportunities in non-practicing universities, Module II Programmes or institutions of higher learning in other countries,’ he said.

The CS announced that as of February 25 this year, a total 121, 391 candidates who obtained C+ in the 2023 KCSE examination had applied for various courses which accounts for 60.8 percent of the 199,695 Kenyan citizens who scored a mean grade of C+ and above.

He urged students who scored mean grades of between C and E to take advantage of the ongoing applications to select diploma, craft certificates, or artisan programmes offered in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

‘This category of students have the advantage of walking into their preferred Ministry of Education TVET institutions to be assisted with the application proce
ss,’ he added.

Mr Machogu said the Ministry and other stakeholders in government are working together to ensure that the challenges facing some students in the application process are addressed, adding that all applicants will be facilitated to apply for programmes and institutions of their choice.

‘The Ministry is committed to ensuring that all eligible applicants are given a chance and no student will be left behind in the process,’ assured Machogu.

He encouraged applicants whose payments are experiencing unusual delays to use USSD code *222# to confirm their payments and to trigger validation.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Four years of peeping through the window of a refugee neighbour privileged to own a TV is how one girl learnt and mastered the Kings and Queen’s English language to perfection.

Fifteen years old Cecilia Adol Adhar, a form two South-Sudanese refugee student at Lifeworks Tumaini Girls in Turkana is a girl with unbridled dreams of being a neurosurgeon.

The beneficiary Government’s Elimu Scholarship is an enchanting orator with the best diction and intonation of the Queen’s language that perplexes her audiences.

‘I am lucky to have gotten the Elimu scholarship to study in a good school that is treating me right,’ explained Cecilia.

Her ambition to be a neurosurgeon was inspired by a story her father shared about how the grandfather died from a head injury. Without adequate doctors, health facilities and the money to afford emergency medical assistance, Cecilia’s father shaped her thoughts on a humane career that saves lives by being a neurosurgeon.

Elimu Scholarship took her up as a continuing student this y
ear and her worries are over about not being able to complete her secondary education.

She takes pride in her best subjects of physics, biology and history.

Cecilia intents to break the highest record the school has set on performance by scoring an A minus at KCSE above her mentor Anisa Abdullahi, the top student in 2023 who scored a grade B plus, the highest ever attained in their refugee school.

She plans to outdo her peer Anisa by consulting widely in areas she doesn’t understand well, keeping a personal timetable and waking up earlier than her fellow students to work on challenging subjects like mathematics.

Interestingly, unlike many of her peers from South Sudan with distinctive influence by mother tongue, Cecilia speaks very good English as complemented during her interview.

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, ‘I didn’t tell you how I learnt my good English. When I came here, there was a white lady who came to stay in the refugee camp so I was like, what kind of a language is she using? My aunt who knew English
told me it is English and I told her I want to learn English,’

Awonto spee la herr she said- meaning ‘I want to speak like her,’ with perfect British accent and intonation that startled the interviewer. Wow! she’s gooood, I must say.

She continues ‘We had a neighbour at the refugee camp who was financially stable and had a TV. They used to watch cartoons. I used to go stand near their window as they were watching, I was watching too, capturing every word that the cartoons were saying then I ended up knowing English,’ confidently confessed Cecilia.

‘Imagine four years of standing behind somebody’s house window,’ Cecilia reflects with a giggle, wondering how good she would be in the coming years, and what if she lived in the privileged neighbour’s house or if they had a TV of their own.

Her good English is reflected in speech and writing evident from her articles in the school magazine, topical news and feature articles, narrations and presentations during her journalism club which she’s a member.

With her
potential, the future is bright and forward looking to the day Cecilia will have mastered all aspects of the English language to help editing some English works that pile for writers on tight deadlines passing for errors and omissions in the finest foreign language admired by many.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Salim Mvurya says the national government has made deliberate efforts to invest in the education sector as a poverty eradication mechanism.

CS Mvurya says the government is committed to repositioning and revitalizing the entire education sector for rapid socio-economic development of the nation.

Mvurya who was speaking in Kinango constituency of Kwale at the inauguration ceremony of two classrooms and a laboratory and handing over a new school bus at Salim Mvurya secondary school says that education is fundamental to development and growth.

The CS announced that the school also received a Sh5 million donation from President Dr. William Ruto.

He called on the residents to embrace education and recognize it as the best way to end ignorance, poverty and diseases.

Mvurya who served as a two term Kwale Governor from 2013 to 2022 noted that the national government would continue supporting the development of secondary school infrastructure in Kwal
e in order to accommodate more learners transitioning from primary to secondary level of education.

The newly established classrooms and science laboratory were built with funds from the local Kinango National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG CDF) kitty.

The CS reiterated that the government would invest in public primary and secondary schools across the country to provide all children with access to quality basic education.

He said it was only through investing in education that the country could realise development, growth and progress for the benefit of the population.

The CS who was accompanied by Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani and Kinango MP Gonzi Rai also called for constructive collaboration from educational stakeholders to help reduce the number of out-of-school children in the county.

He asked parents to take their children to school as per the 100 percent transition policy from primary to secondary level of education championed by the national government.

Mvurya urged the youths to e
mbrace education to enable them have a big chance to make a difference in their lives, families and that of the society.

He said the country has now fully adopted the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) at all educational levels and assured that the government would continue to strive in guaranteeing the country’s education system remains relevant and globally competitive.

Mvurya expressed deep appreciation and commended the outstanding developmental achievements witnessed under the leadership of the long serving MP Rai.

Rai said he was determined to establish more primary and secondary schools in the rural parts of the constituency to end the challenge of young children trekking for several kilometers in search of basic education.

The legislator said the school infrastructure expansion by the local CDF kitty was an effort to curb school dropout and increase transition rate from primary to secondary schools.

On her part, Governor Achani stated that the devolved government was focused on boosting the educat
ion sector in the region to become the model that other counties would emulate.

Achani also noted that the devolved unit has increased the county’s annual ‘Elimu Ni Sasa’ bursary scheme from Sh400 million to Sh500 million to benefit more university and secondary school students.

The coastal county boss reaffirmed her commitment to providing the highest quality education for every child in Kwale so as to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the county and country.

CS Mvurya also officially opened Muzuri Primary School in Mwereni Ward, Lunga Lunga sub county constructed and funded by Saidia Kwale Foundation.

Saidia Kwale Foundation is currently undertaking projects on a number of sectors including education, Health, Agriculture and Water.

Governor Achani assured the investor of her administration’s support in the implementation of the socio economic projects undertaken by the Saidia Kwale Foundation.

The event was also graced by Lunga Lunga MP Mangale Chiforomodo, Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Ori
nde and the founder of Saidia Kwale Foundation Hendrick Stengenganga, a Dutch national.

CS Mvurya also handed over a new school bus to Lunga Lunga Secondary School bought by the local NG CDF kitty.

The ceremony also coincided with the unveiling of the NG-CDF Lunga Lunga Constituency five-year Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Education standards at Kurgung Boys High School in Mosop Sub County are set to improve after leaders raised Sh31 million towards the facility’s improvement.

The fundraiser was led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, and Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang among other leaders.

Speaking during the event, Koskei stressed on the importance of quality education insisting that the management should work round the clock to ensure the grades of the institution improves.

He wondered why giant schools in the region were performing poorly yet they have resources adding that poor results were embarrassing him as Head of Public Service.

‘Next month, I will call for a meeting to get to the root of this matter. We must find out why students especially in this sub county are not performing well. If the leadership is the problem, we will find a way out,’ he said.

Koskei called on parents to prioritize their children’s education saying it was the best investment and most powerful weap
on that equalized the rich and the poor.

He further urged parents to team up with teachers and work hand in hand to ensure children excel in their academics.

Governor Sang said uplifting education standards through infrastructure is vital for fostering a conducive learning environment.

‘Improved infrastructure not only enhances the learning experience but also contributes to student motivation and engagement,’ he said.

Nandi County Women representative Cynthia Muge advised students to work hard for the betterment of their future saying education is the key.

She called upon education stakeholders to go back to the drawing board and find out why schools which used to perform better in the past are now sleeping giants.

The Women Rep encouraged girls to avoid early marriages and focus on their education.

President William Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet who is the patron of the school condemned leaders from the area for failing to support the institution adding that a law must be enforced to make it mandatory for
Governors to oversee the construction and development of high schools.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Somali-born Kenyan refugee girl Anisa Abdullahi Muhumed is a beacon of hope and inspiration for many including Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps children yearning for better, than life offered them by being default refugees.

‘My mother used to tell me, ‘Anisa I depend on you. Make sure you are the one who will break the chain of poverty in our family. By Emerging the best student, I knew that I would further my education and I would be able to help her in the future and also my siblings.’ Anisa Abdullahi, Best Kenyan Refugee student KCSE 2023.

Eighteen-year-old Anisa, the best Refugee female student in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) 2023 scored a remarkable B+(plus) of 70 points.

She has taken up voluntary work at her former school where she teaches English in form one class of 65 students, form two of 45 as well as assisting in administrative work and is executive secretary to the principal Ms Josephine Nguta.

‘As a way to give back to society, I volunteer as a school teache
r, for the love I have for my former school that nurtured me for four years,’ said Anisa

While joining form one in January 2019, the firstborn in a family of three asked the principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls the best grade that the school had ever recorded and said she’d supersede that record.

To the amusement of many, who now refer to her as an academic prophet, she did set a new better record than her predecessors as predicted during her entry interview.

Anisa asserts that four years is enough time to prepare to be the best one can ever be in terms of secondary school education when given the opportunity.

The beneficiary of the Jesuit Refugee Council Scholarship working under the umbrella body of UNHCR, Anisa went against all odds to emerge not only at the top of her school but also the best girl in Turkana West Constituency beating over 300,000 KCSE candidates in 2023 except one.

Life as a learner in a refugee camp came with its fair share of challenges but that did not derail her ambition to overc
ome the barriers to make her life and that of her family and community better.

Societal Norms that prioritize boy children over girls were misleading information peddled by community members that girls don’t need education but should just prepare for marriage.

She says is seeing life through an unrealistic cultural lens but there’s a brighter side that most women from her community could be missing out on since they have never tried and she is up for the challenge to pursue education till she drops.

‘Family financial constraints push you further but that has never stopped me as encouraged by her mentor never to allow environmental conditions to control you. I applaud my mother for working hard to provide for my financial obligations though limited.

Academic Stress is when sometimes you feel like giving up when a subject proves difficult especially mathematics but through teachers’ support and group work I was able to cope with the seemingly difficult subjects.

Insecurity in the camps is a major challenge
as a girl commuting from home to school every day even for those in boarding school like myself it’s a challenge on the roads since there are thugs always trying to harass you,’ she said.

For students, beneficiaries of any scholarship Anisa advises them to make use of the opportunity well since they are lucky to be in school with everything essential for them to learn having nothing to worry about.

‘Take this as a chance, grab it, work as hard as you can. You must realize that there is someone out there who doesn’t have such a chance, work hard and do not take this for granted,’ advised Anisa

Her former teacher and now the principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Josephine Nguta described Anisa as a foremost disciplined girl with adorable humility, dedication, and commitment to her duties and the betterment of others selflessly.

Her parents divorced, and tribal clashes, insecurity, and fear forced Anisa and her family to flee to Kenya in 2005. She was an infant then.

‘My mum has been very supportive and has
tried everything she can to raise us. She is the motivating factor that has made me never give up on my education.

My achievement made me, my mum, my family, and my school fraternity so happy because that is what I have been working for, for the last four years to get something great. It is so overwhelming Almadulilah!!! Now I can pursue the dream of being a doctor,’ she said.

Anisa’s answer to the question of which University she wants to join is nerve-wracking and emotive since she hasn’t gotten any yet but hopes for the best.

She appreciated the Jesuit Refugees Services and her uncle for supporting her education at secondary school and primary school education respectively.

Anisa an aspiring medical doctor is however uncertain about securing a place at a prestigious University to pursue her dream career owing to her poor background as a struggling refugee and a single mother.

Anisa’s tips to success borders on determination, self-discipline, and communication skills.

‘I was so determined ever since I
stepped in form one. It didn’t come naturally when I got to form four but I built it from form one by working hard ever since.

I used to be self-disciplined and kept a good rapport with teachers. I used to interact with my schoolmates and classmates.

On Communication Skills I used to engage in group work and group consultations frequently research.

I did research online by using tablets or something to learn more,’ she said.

Parting shot

‘I want to encourage students that everything is possible, keep self-discipline, be determined, set your goals, and know your future ambitions.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

Somali-born Kenyan refugee girl Anisa Abdullahi Muhumed is a beacon of hope and inspiration for many including Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps children yearning for better, than life offered them by being default refugees.

‘My mother used to tell me, ‘Anisa I depend on you. Make sure you are the one who will break the chain of poverty in our family. By Emerging the best student, I knew that I would further my education and I would be able to help her in the future and also my siblings.’ Anisa Abdullahi, Best Kenyan Refugee student KCSE 2023.

Eighteen-year-old Anisa, the best Refugee female student in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) 2023 scored a remarkable B+(plus) of 70 points.

She has taken up voluntary work at her former school where she teaches English in form one class of 65 students, form two of 45 as well as assisting in administrative work and is executive secretary to the principal Ms Josephine Nguta.

‘As a way to give back to society, I volunteer as a school teache
r, for the love I have for my former school that nurtured me for four years,’ said Anisa

While joining form one in January 2019, the firstborn in a family of three asked the principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls the best grade that the school had ever recorded and said she’d supersede that record.

To the amusement of many, who now refer to her as an academic prophet, she did set a new better record than her predecessors as predicted during her entry interview.

Anisa asserts that four years is enough time to prepare to be the best one can ever be in terms of secondary school education when given the opportunity.

The beneficiary of the Jesuit Refugee Council Scholarship working under the umbrella body of UNHCR, Anisa went against all odds to emerge not only at the top of her school but also the best girl in Turkana West Constituency beating over 300,000 KCSE candidates in 2023 except one.

Life as a learner in a refugee camp came with its fair share of challenges but that did not derail her ambition to overc
ome the barriers to make her life and that of her family and community better.

Societal Norms that prioritize boy children over girls were misleading information peddled by community members that girls don’t need education but should just prepare for marriage.

She says is seeing life through an unrealistic cultural lens but there’s a brighter side that most women from her community could be missing out on since they have never tried and she is up for the challenge to pursue education till she drops.

‘Family financial constraints push you further but that has never stopped me as encouraged by her mentor never to allow environmental conditions to control you. I applaud my mother for working hard to provide for my financial obligations though limited.

Academic Stress is when sometimes you feel like giving up when a subject proves difficult especially mathematics but through teachers’ support and group work I was able to cope with the seemingly difficult subjects.

Insecurity in the camps is a major challenge
as a girl commuting from home to school every day even for those in boarding school like myself it’s a challenge on the roads since there are thugs always trying to harass you,’ she said.

For students, beneficiaries of any scholarship Anisa advises them to make use of the opportunity well since they are lucky to be in school with everything essential for them to learn having nothing to worry about.

‘Take this as a chance, grab it, work as hard as you can. You must realize that there is someone out there who doesn’t have such a chance, work hard and do not take this for granted,’ advised Anisa

Her former teacher and now the principal of Lifeworks Tumaini Girls Josephine Nguta described Anisa as a foremost disciplined girl with adorable humility, dedication, and commitment to her duties and the betterment of others selflessly.

Her parents divorced, and tribal clashes, insecurity, and fear forced Anisa and her family to flee to Kenya in 2005. She was an infant then.

‘My mum has been very supportive and has
tried everything she can to raise us. She is the motivating factor that has made me never give up on my education.

My achievement made me, my mum, my family, and my school fraternity so happy because that is what I have been working for, for the last four years to get something great. It is so overwhelming Almadulilah!!! Now I can pursue the dream of being a doctor,’ she said.

Anisa’s answer to the question of which University she wants to join is nerve-wracking and emotive since she hasn’t gotten any yet but hopes for the best.

She appreciated the Jesuit Refugees Services and her uncle for supporting her education at secondary school and primary school education respectively.

Anisa an aspiring medical doctor is however uncertain about securing a place at a prestigious University to pursue her dream career owing to her poor background as a struggling refugee and a single mother.

Anisa’s tips to success borders on determination, self-discipline, and communication skills.

‘I was so determined ever since I
stepped in form one. It didn’t come naturally when I got to form four but I built it from form one by working hard ever since.

I used to be self-disciplined and kept a good rapport with teachers. I used to interact with my schoolmates and classmates.

On Communication Skills I used to engage in group work and group consultations frequently research.

I did research online by using tablets or something to learn more,’ she said.

Parting shot

‘I want to encourage students that everything is possible, keep self-discipline, be determined, set your goals, and know your future ambitions.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ugunja constituency development fund will spend over Sh. 27 million to subsidize the education of more than 3,900 students from the area.

According to the Ugunja CDF committee, the 3,941 students who study in various secondary schools will have the cost of their studies met by the constituency bursary fund.

The chairman of the committee, Benard Omolo Were said that the beneficiaries include 697 form-one students who were awarded a total of Sh. 4.9 million while the continuing students totaling 3,244 will have their fees paid for to the tune of Sh. 22 million.

Speaking during the release of the bursary outside the Ugunja CDF offices in Ugunja town, Omolo said his committee also supports needy students in special skills.

The bursary subcommittee chairman, Philip Oloo Ndaya said that 70 percent of the form one joining students who applied for the bursary were successful compared to 76 percent of the continuing students.

Ndaya thanked secondary school Principals for mobilizing their learners to apply for
bursaries.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Ugunja sub-county branch chairman Paul Jera hailed the constituency bursary scheme for coming to the aid of bright but needy students.

Jera who is also the principal of Simerro secondary school said most students in day schools are challenged because of the economic situations at home and it is the bursaries that help keep them in school.

‘There are those that cannot raise a single coin at home but because of bursary, we have managed to have them in school where they learn and even excel,’ said Jera.

The principal of Got Osimbo Girls’ Secondary School Canon. Caroline Ngunya said the bursary had come at the right time when most schools had depleted their resources and will help the institutions run their programs uninterrupted.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ugunja constituency development fund will spend over Sh. 27 million to subsidize the education of more than 3,900 students from the area.

According to the Ugunja CDF committee, the 3,941 students who study in various secondary schools will have the cost of their studies met by the constituency bursary fund.

The chairman of the committee, Benard Omolo Were said that the beneficiaries include 697 form-one students who were awarded a total of Sh. 4.9 million while the continuing students totaling 3,244 will have their fees paid for to the tune of Sh. 22 million.

Speaking during the release of the bursary outside the Ugunja CDF offices in Ugunja town, Omolo said his committee also supports needy students in special skills.

The bursary subcommittee chairman, Philip Oloo Ndaya said that 70 percent of the form one joining students who applied for the bursary were successful compared to 76 percent of the continuing students.

Ndaya thanked secondary school Principals for mobilizing their learners to apply for
bursaries.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Ugunja sub-county branch chairman Paul Jera hailed the constituency bursary scheme for coming to the aid of bright but needy students.

Jera who is also the principal of Simerro secondary school said most students in day schools are challenged because of the economic situations at home and it is the bursaries that help keep them in school.

‘There are those that cannot raise a single coin at home but because of bursary, we have managed to have them in school where they learn and even excel,’ said Jera.

The principal of Got Osimbo Girls’ Secondary School Canon. Caroline Ngunya said the bursary had come at the right time when most schools had depleted their resources and will help the institutions run their programs uninterrupted.

Source: Kenya News Agency