The County government of West Pokot has disbursed 500 million shillings as bursaries to benefit 51,000 students across various institutions from secondary schools to tertiary institutions.
Speaking during the official launch of the bursary programme, the area Governor Simon Kachapin said that for decades, the Pokot community in Kenya’s arid North Rift region has been battling with several challenges leading to high rates of school dropouts, attributing this to retrogressive cultural practices like cattle rustling.
Governor Kachapin noted West Pokot county is among one of the marginalised regions, and this would change with the push for learners to go to school with financial support from the government.
“West Pokot is one of the historically marginalized regions in this country, but we are changing that narrative by investing in education. We want our youth to compete equally at national and global levels,” he added.
Additionally Pokot community has been struggling with school dropouts due to socio-economic challenges and cultural barriers. “This bursary is a step towards securing a better future for our children,” he said
