Kisumu: Some 100 needy students from Muhoroni and Nyakach Sub-Counties in Kisumu County have received a lifeline after the Office of the Senator disbursed bursary cheques, easing the burden of school fees.
According to Kenya News Agency, through the Watoto Wasome Initiative spearheaded by Senator Prof. Tom Ojienda, Sh4.25 million has been set aside to benefit needy students countywide. During the cheque distribution exercise, the Senator’s Office Manager, Seth Okumu, stated that the initiative targeted learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, including orphans, children living with disabilities, and students from low-income households.
A total of 50 students from North Nyakach Ward in Nyakach Sub-County and another 50 from Ombeyi Ward in Muhoroni Sub-County benefited from the latest disbursement. Okumu noted that the bursary program fulfills a pledge made by Senator Ojienda during a visit to Ombeyi Ward, where he had delivered relief food to families affected by floods.
‘When the Senator visited Ombeyi Ward to support families affected by floods with relief food, he pledged to install a floodlight and provide school bursaries to deserving students. That promise is becoming a reality today,’ Okumu said. The initiative, he added, reaffirms Prof. Ojienda’s commitment to fairness, inclusivity, and equal access to educational support, ensuring that no deserving student is left behind due to financial challenges.
Okumu acknowledged that the Constitution primarily assigns senators the roles of legislation, oversight, and representation, but said Prof. Ojienda has gone beyond those mandates by initiating development-oriented programs aimed at improving the lives of residents. ‘Senator Ojienda believes that constitutional responsibilities alone are not enough to create a significant impact in the lives of wananchi. That is why he continuously develops programs that directly benefit the people,’ he said.
