A statement from City Hall indicates that beneficiaries will have their school fees covered throughout their high school education.
Nairobi County Executive for Education, Youth and ICT Ann Lokidor said the Sh64 million bursary fund launched last year by Governor Evans Kidero is part of the youth empowerment programme aimed at uplifting the living standards of city residents.
“The initial group of 300 beneficiaries is currently in its second year of high school. The rigorous process of identifying the deserving students is already underway. This is a long term programme intended to transform the lives of bright but poor students,” she said.
She stated that the county government will partner with head teachers within the county to identify the most deserving applicants who have admission letters to national schools but cannot afford to take up their positions due to lack of fees.
“We encourage qualifying students to apply for this life-changing opportunity. The selection process will factor in diversity and gender balance to give all deserving applicants a fair chance of being selected,” she said.
Lokidor recounted how education uplifted her from a humble background in Turkana County to her current position as a County Executive.
She encouraged girls to especially apply for the county bursaries, terming education as a key to determining their destiny.
“Successful applicants will also have opportunities to intern in various departments of the County Government during school holidays. They will form a talent pool that the county could pick in future to fill its human resource needs,” she stated.
She explained that the County Government will track their performance at the university and organise team building activities that will help the beneficiaries to network among themselves and with the county staff.
“They will also be involved in social work such as voluntary clean-up exercises to serve as role models for their peers,” she stated.
One of her key focus is to see how ICT can be integrated into Early Childhood Education to give learners a head start in an increasingly digital world.