Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has launched a national scholarship programme targeting learners with disabilities in an effort to bridge education inequality among children with special needs.
The INUKA initiative by the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Foundation will sponsor secondary education for bright and needy learners with disabilities across all 47 counties.
Each year, two students per county will be selected, with the support covering tuition, uniforms, assistive learning devices, and mentorship to ease their integration into the workforce.
Speaking at the launch held at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), Ogamba hailed the initiative as a major step toward inclusive education, noting that over 745 students have benefited so far at a cumulative cost of over Ksh120 million.
“The National Survey on Children with Disabilities and Special Needs in Education conducted in 2018 estimated that approximately 11.4 percent of children aged 3-21 in Kenya have disabilities. That percentage translates to 2,489,252 children,” said Ogamba
The survey further identified several challenges faced by children with disabilities in their education journey including lack of accessible infrastructure and inadequate training for tutors who handle them. These challenges have resulted in low enrolment rates and high dropout rates among these vulnerable groups” he added.
Ogamba said the Ministry of Education will audit all learning institutions to ensure they comply with disability inclusion requirements, adding that the government is committed to ensuring no child is left behind.
KPC Board Chairperson Faith Bett Boinett said the Foundation had stepped in to ease the burden faced by learners with disabilities who often lack tailored resources and support.
“The situation is particularly dire for students with disabilities who require additional support to integrate into the system,” said Boinett.
KPC Managing Director Joe Sang noted that education is a core pillar of the Foundation’s social investment strategy, aligned with the national goal of equal opportunity.
“Children with disabilities face immense challenges in pursuit of education. Through INUKA, we are ensuring they have an equal shot at quality learning and self-reliance,” Sang said.
The launch also featured the rollout of a mentorship programme to boost retention and performance. It will target 370 students annually.
Additionally, the Foundation has introduced INUKA PLUS, a new phase that will offer scholarships to top-performing secondary school graduates to pursue university, college, and TVET studies.
The Foundation will invest Ksh41 million annually in the initiative, benefiting 25 students in its first cohort selected in December 2024.
