Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has directed County Treasury and Ministry of Education (headed by CS Amina Mohammed) to write cheques to all beneficiaries of Bursary Fund and ensure they reach schools by Monday.
She took over from Dr Fred Matiang'i.
Addressing Principals and Heads of Schools during a meeting in Kisumu, the NASA governor said the directive stems from the fact that IFMIS was painfully slow.
"By end of next week, amounts due to respective students in your care will be in your school accounts," he said, even as he called on the Principals to help ensure that the disbursements are in respect to actual students in their schools.
"I will do my part but I am counting on you to ensure every penny disbursed to your schools is sufficiently accounted for."
On issues of technical skills, Wangamati said he had secured a Sh76 million grant from the national government to go towards Vocational Training Centres.
"This grant is besides Sh120 million or 30 per cent of the Sh400 million Bursary Fund," he said, adding that his government had special focus on technical skills. He committed to invest more in education in the coming years.
"This year, we have allocated Sh400 million to bursaries up from Sh180 million. In the 2018-2019 budget, we will allocate Sh500 million and mobilise another Sh300 million from fund-raising to the Bursary Kitty."
According to him, a total of 717 needy students in national and extra county schools have so far been given full scholarships including shopping and transport to school.
With the expected passing of Supplementary Budget by the County Assembly, the Governor said he will fund the creation of an extra stream at both Lugulu Girls and Friends School Kamusinga to accommodate students from Bungoma County.
He also promised to revisit the issue of employing at least one teacher for upcoming schools in the coming financial year.
At the meeting, principals lauded Governor Wangamati as accessible and a man of his word.
Edward Bikala KESSHA County Chairperson singled out the Governor's Bursary Fund for praise it's the best to improve livelihoods and impact humanity.