Thousands of Nairobi families struggling with the rising cost of education received a boost on Thursday after the county government launched a Ksh170 million scholarship programme targeting secondary school learners.
The initiative, unveiled by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on January 8, is expected to benefit at least 4,000 students in its first phase, offering relief to parents and a lifeline to learners at risk of dropping out due to financial hardship.
Speaking during the launch, Governor Sakaja said the programme had been anchored within the law following consultations with the Controller of Budget, the Ministry of Education and the Council of Governors, after delays experienced last year.
“I want to thank the Controller of Budget for working with the Ministry of Education and the Council of Governors to resolve the impasse that existed last year and to anchor scholarships within the law,” Sakaja said.
The county’s CECM for Talents, Skills Development and Care, Brian Mulama, said the scholarship will play a critical role in easing the burden of school fees on parents while unlocking the potential of learners who had been forced out of school by financial constraints.
“This programme will go a long way in supporting learners and easing the financial burden on parents, ensuring that talented children can remain in school and focus on their education,” Mulama noted.
Beyond scholarships, Sakaja acknowledged the pressure facing Nairobi’s education system, particularly overcrowding in public schools. He said the county government, working with the national government, is fast-tracking the construction of 6,500 classrooms to ease congestion and improve learning conditions.
The governor revealed that his administration has invested Ksh1.8 billion in the education sector over the past two years, underscoring education as a key pillar of his leadership.
He also reaffirmed the county’s commitment to expanding the Dishi na County school feeding programme, which has been credited with improving school attendance and boosting enrolment. So far, the programme has provided more than 68 million meals to learners across the county.
Last year, the county government announced plans to make the feeding programme permanent. In a notice dated September 25, officials said that if the School Feeding Policy (2025) is approved, every child in a Nairobi public school will receive safe and nutritious meals daily, improving education, health and social protection outcomes.
Introduced in mid-2023, the Dishi na County model is designed to be accessible to all students, with parents paying a nominal fee of Ksh5 per meal through the Tap2Eat system, which uses a digital Near Field Communication (NFC) watch.
In the 2023/24 financial year, Nairobi County spent Ksh1.7 billion to support the feeding programme, with an additional Ksh400 million allocated in the 2024/25 supplementary budget.
For many parents and learners, the scholarship drive and continued investment in education signal renewed hope that no child in Nairobi will be forced to abandon school simply because they cannot afford it.
