Garissa University attack survivors to get scholarships

At least 10 Garissa University College terrorist attack survivors will be among 30 Kenyan students to benefit from an annual scholarship offer by the Republic of Hungary.

The country through its Ambassador to Kenya, Laszlo Eduard Mathe, said at least 90 Kenyan students will benefit from the programme in the next three years.

Ambassador Mathe who paid a courtesy call on Cabinet Secretary for Education Jacob Kaimenyi at his office said, "the programme will offer 30 scholarships to Kenyan students annually, 10 of which are immediately available students who survived the Garissa University terrorist attack in April this year."

The ambassador said his government was ready to train Kenyan students by paying tuition, accommodation and health facilities while on scholarship in the country.

Kenyan government will however facilitate air travel for the beneficiaries to Hungary and back upon completion of the course.

Mathe said the 10 survivors would learn under flexible scholarship programme whose Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed soon by the two governments.

Prof. Kaimenyi said post graduate programmes would go a long way in strengthening capacity for the teaching force in local universities.

"The Ministry would identify priority areas that the country needs to develop capacity," he said.

While acknowledging the ambassador for extending the scholarship programme to 10 students who survived the deadliest attack that claimed 148 lives, Kaimenyi said that the government would identify students from extremely poor backgrounds to benefit from the offer.

The good gesture by Hungary comes barely two months after Italy also offered 25 scholarships to the Garissa University College students. The ambassador said the survivors would be offered full scholarships to study in some of the Italian universities.