By Reuben Olita
A total of 33 schools have received bursary cheques worth Ksh30million from Teso North National Government- Constituency Development Fund.
Area Member of Parliament Oku Kaunya, who distributed the cheques to secondary School principals at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Hall in Amagoro, said the recipient students are from schools within the constituency.
The MP said they have so far released Ksh73m since the start of the last financial year, adding that they are on course to boost education standards in the Constituency.
Mr Kaunya said each student has been allocated Ksh5,000, adding that the money is half of the total tuition fee paid by dayscholars, noting that the gesture will boost the education of vulnerable children in the Constituency.
Hon Kaunya said the fund worth Ksh6m has been allocated to two comprehensive schools for the construction of laboratories to boost the transition to Grade 10.
He regretted that there are schools without laboratories under the Competence Curricukum Education( CBE) program , noting that they will fund four more schools with labs in the next financial year.
Kaunya put contractors on notice that they risk being blacklisted if they do a shoddy job, threatening to take legal action if they fail to uphold their contractual obligations.
He told principals to utilize money efficiently by channelling them to infrastructural development like toilets.
Oku also disclosed that six schools, which are transiting to Grade 10, have no laboratories, noting that they will avail funds in the next financial year to have them constructed.
Teso North KEPSHA chairman Jonus Ayungu, the Kajei Comprehensive school, said Korisai comprehensive school thanked MP Kaunya for the Ksh30m bursaries to Teso North secondary schools.
” NG-CDF has allocated ACK Korisai comprehensive school with Ksh6m for laboratory construction and St Paul Kekalet Ksh1m for the same program,” he said.
He added: ” With laboratories constructed, most schools in Teso North in Grade 10 will offer STEM, including two other pathways.”
St Thomas Amagoro Girls Principal Mary Kui said they are ready for STEM, noting that many schools are equipped with laboratories to offer STEM and other pathways, adding that the standard of education in the sub county has improved.
Moding Secondary School BOM vice chairman Kizito Echakara urged students to embrace STEM, adding that technology is the way to go.
Principals said there is a need to anchor CDF in the constitution, adding that day schools will grind to a halt without CDF.
