In Summary:
- Taskforce findings
- Complaint
- Rejoinder ~ CECM Educ
- Sample success story
A week to his swearing in as Bungoma County’s 2022-7 Governor, Ken Lusaka assured residents across the County that his administration will settle all fee arrears under the education programme popularly known as “Wangamati scholarship”.
“I am aware that a number of children have been sent home after the outgoing administration failed to clear their fee arrears. I will move with speed to settle this once I formally take over the office”, said Lusaka at a Kamukuywa.
This good intention nevertheless could not be realized after its implementation turned out to be a nightmare. Upon settling in office Lusaka could not believe the burden that he assumed, he formed a task-force committee to first audit the programme and whose report exposed shocking inconsistencies and therefore irregularities. Lusaka in a bid to streamline the programme did implement recommendations by the task-force one of which demanded that undeserving as well as ghost students be axed from the programme.
TASK FORCE FINDINGS:
| YEAR | STUDENTS | GOVERNOR |
| 2018 | 453 | Wangamati |
| 2019 | 556 | Wangamati |
| 2020 | 769 | Wangamati |
| 2021 | 2,192 | Wangamati |
| 2022 | 8,870 | Wangamati |
| TOTAL | 12,840 |
Lusaka recently added more students onto the programme before the govt decided to streamline further by allocating each ward 42 scholarship slots on top of special bursary.
| YEAR | STUDENTS | GOVERNOR |
| 2023 | 845 | Lusaka |
In total the number of students on scholarship as it stands now are:
| CLASS | STUDENTS |
| F4 | 761 |
| F3 | 492 |
| F2 | 1890 |
| F1 | 845 |
| 3,988 |
COMPLAINT;
ikuweikuwe.com has nevertheless received complaints from those who were removed as well as those who are still on the scholarship programme. One of the compalints reads:
I think story na scholarship iliisha na Wangamati coz Am a guardian to a student in Lugulu na she has a fee balance of 65k and this is 3rd term so wakifunga it will be 65+45=110, do you think the county will clear the whole amount??? The whole year they have just paid 10k only
REJOINDER:
We have put in a request for a release from the National Government. We expect finances any time. I have assured principals that we shall continue paying. We have been paying any time an allocation is received.
I’m aware of challenges schools are going through but still appeal to them to give us some time.
~ Mr. Wanyonyi, CECM Education ~
SAMPLE SUCCESS STORY:
“Last year, Governor Wycliffe Wangamati trekked to Kubura, Kipsigon in Chebyuk in search of the only home that provided shelter and a degree of safety to two boys, John Kitiyo Koech and Abraham Kitiyo Kiptoo, the beneficiaries of his Scholarship, a visit that was full of tears and heart wrenching stories.
The mother to Abraham and John sank into depression in 2008 after she lost her husband at the hands of Sabaot Land Defence Forces. Christine, their aunt took them in but was soon evicted from her land in a family dispute.
Thanks to Wangamati Scholarship, John, who sat for his Form 4 at Kapsabet High School, scored an A- in this year’s KCSE exams.From tears of pain to tears of joy and celebration. From despair to hope. It’s a story of changing lives, one soul at a time.”
