Nyandarua County government, jointly with the Family Bank, on Tuesday afternoon launched a digital bursary fund disbursement programme.
Speaking at Kasuku grounds in Ol Joro Orok Constituency during the release of Sh113.4 million bursaries to 18,000 secondary school, college and university students, Family Bank Ol Kalou Branch Manager Harun Njenga said the digital method is more efficient, timely and cost-effective.
“The funds are released at the click of a button to all beneficiaries. One does not have to sign thousands of cheques… there is an instant delivery message that the amount has been deposited in the beneficiaries’ accounts,” said the manager.
Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia said the county government has disbursed Sh437 million to 76, 513 students in bursaries since 2014, adding that this year’s amount was the highest, an improvement from Sh100 million disbursed last year.
“We have given full scholarships to students joining national schools and extremely needy cases. We are determined to ensure that no student drops out of school. Automation of the bursary kitty will save the parents and students the trouble and cost of traveling all the way to pick cheques. It will also curb the change of beneficiaries along the chain. This will save on valuable time for schools and students,” said the governor.
He added that through the automated cash transfers, returns from schools will be obtained easily.
Governor Kimemia noted that although the county recorded improved results in national examinations, several challenges still hinder Nyandarua’s full potential.
He named the community’s negative attitude to their schools, habitual absenteeism of learners and teachers, child labour, school dropout due to early marriages, domestic violence, negative peer influence and drug and substance abuse as the main challenges.
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