Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka has ordered the fresh vetting of beneficiaries of the fifth cohort of the county scholarship programme.
Lusaka said the exercise was meant to establish the correct number of beneficiaries, noting the previous vetting was unfairly conducted.
The affected students are now in form two in various schools within the county. According to Lusaka, many needy students missed out on the programme, leading to uproar from parents and school principals.
"This exercise intends to streamline the county scholarship programme by establishing the real number of beneficiaries, weed out ghost beneficiaries, know the amount of money owed to schools and ensure the scholarship programme conforms to budgetary allocations," said Lusaka.
The governor was speaking during a meeting with secondary school principals at Lugulu Girls High School.
"Most parents raised complaints that their children had been removed from the scholarship programme intentionally by employees of the county government. That's unacceptable, and those found culpable will carry their cross," said Lusaka.
He also urged education stakeholders to work closely with the county to enhance efficiency in the education sector. The governor said Sh70 million has been set aside, to be dispatched to schools after the fresh vetting.
In November last year, Mr Lusaka in the education taskforce report findings revealed that many beneficiaries were either ghost students or those from rich families. The fifth cohort had 8,000 beneficiaries.
It revealed that 17 students from Chesamisi Boys and 39 from Kibuk Girls could not be traced.
