Centum Investment board member and businessman Chris Kirubi and chief executive officer James Mworia. [Photo/The Star]
Investment firm Centum Group allocates Sh20 million every year to give out as scholarships to needy and bright students from Kilifi county, its managing director has said.
Fred Murimi who spoke at Pwani University where he presided over the issuance of 50 scholarships to students from Kikambala division said the company was targeting 200 beneficiaries from the region by the year 2019.
“We started with 50 students last year and this year, we have taken another group under the same project. The target is that we have 200 students under the scholarship by 2019,” he said.
Mr Murimi said all the beneficiaries are paid for all their four years fees in secondary school and that the parent only takes care of some basic student need like transport, medical and other minor needs while in school.
He said that apart from the scholarship, the firm which is planning to build Vipingo City also distributed books worth over Sh5million. The books which comprise of standard six syllabuses will be distributed to two primary schools that were last year upgraded by the organization.
“We have brought 11,000 textbooks for standard six pupils and will be distributed to Makonde and Timboni primary schools. These are schools which Centum decided to upgrade their buildings that were in deplorable condition,” he said.
Mr Murimi said this year, and despite increasing the entrance mark, they received more than 500 entries, each scrambling for the opportunity.