The Kisii County Government has launched bursary fund to benefit needy students.

In the kitty dubbed the Kisii County Bursary Fund, each of the 45 wards in the county has been allocated Sh 1 million in the current financial year to be disbursed to needy students.

The figure will be increased in the next financial year to benefit more students.

The fund was set up after Governor James Ongwae assented into law the Kisii County Bursary Fund Act, 2014 which was passed in the Kisii County Assembly a week ago.

The bursary fund is aimed at enabling needy and bright students access education at all levels and is meant to supplement available bursary funds at constituency and national level.

Speaking at the Kisii Culture Centre while inaugurating the Ward Bursary Committees, Governor Ongwae asked members to embrace fairness, gender and regional balance as well as timeliness in the award of the fund.

The governor reminded the committee that Chapter six of the constitution advocates for honesty and integrity saying they must be fair in distribution of the resources.

He said orphans and those from poor background must be given priority to avoid a repeat of cases where needy students are left out during allocation bursaries at by other kitties.

He said members are mandated to research within their wards and maintain data on eligible students for the bursary.

He called on MCAs and all key stakeholders to work closely with the committees to ensure the objectives and sprits of creating the fund are realized.

Ongwae reiterated his call on the national government to donate the infrastructure function in the ministry of education to counties for effective management. He said donating the function will be followed by resources.

“Governors understand challenges facing the sector more that the national government. Parents approach our offices when classroom roofs are blown off by storms but it becomes a challenge to explain that county governments are not mandated to oversee the same,” said Ongwae.