More than 9,000 learners at various levels in Teso North constituency have benefited from Sh79 million in NG-CDF education bursaries.
MP Oku Kaunya on Monday presided over the issuance of bursary cheques to 9,400 learners at St Joseph’s Kocholia High School and Albert Ekirapa Secondary School.
The beneficiaries included secondary school, tertiary college and university students from Kamolo, Amagoro, Angurai and Changara divisions in the constituency.
Students in secondary schools received the lion’s share of Sh40 million, with each student receiving Sh5,000 in support.
Kaunya revealed plans to expand scholarships in specialised fields such as medicine, engineering and law.
The MP also announced sponsorship for pilot training, with Alex Oluka (Kolanya Boys’) and Yvonne Duwa (Kengatuny) completing private and commercial pilot training at a cost of Sh10 million each.
“Both are now set to undertake multi-engine certification before qualifying to fly commercial aircraft,” he said.
Kaunya said the NG-CDF bursary programme is a transformative investment that has expanded access to education, enhanced performance and opened doors for learners to pursue their ambitions locally and internationally in Teso North.
He said 400 KMTC students from the constituency have been awarded full scholarships under the NG-CDF programme to upgrade skills within the community.
Kaunya said the constituency targets to send more than 1,000 students to universities next year, following a historic 868 this year.
He said the NG-CDF has been a major contributor to the improved performance being witnessed across the constituency.
The MP urged principals not to send students home over fees, encouraging schools to accept alternative fee payments such as food, livestock, firewood or building materials from parents.
Kaunya also announced an upcoming national identity card registration drive targeting youth and women facing documentation challenges.
He urged the youth to enlist as voters during the ongoing one-month enhanced voter registration exercise by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
