The Mombasa government has released Sh71,250,000 in third-term bursaries for day public secondary school learners in the county.
Some 28,500 students each received Sh2,500.
This brings the county’s total support for day public secondary school learners in Mombasa to Sh213,750,000 this year.
“The county’s total support this year is now Sh7,500 per student,” Governor Abdulswamad Nassir announced at Alidina Visram High School on Saturday.
He said the support is universal, regardless of the race, religion, tribe, skin colour or social status of the learner or their parents.
The Sh7,500 comprises meals worth Sh5,000 during the first two terms and Sh2,500 for the third term.
This forms part of the governor’s education agenda, which is geared towards eventually offering free education.
Nassir said his leadership focuses on practical solutions to everyday problems rather than empty political rhetoric.
He said the Sh213,750,000 has benefited 55 public schools in Mombasa, including eight in Kisauni subcounty, seven in Changamwe, nine in Likoni, 17 in Mvita, eight in Nyali and five in Jomvu.
He said next year, another Sh7,500 will be paid by the county for each day public secondary school student.
“A time will come when education will be absolutely free in Mombasa,” Nassir said.
Under his education agenda, Nassir said after 10 years, should he secure a second term, he will have educated 120 doctors from Mombasa.
This will be achieved through the county sponsorship programme, where 12 students — two from each of the six subcounties, equal in male and female representation — are sponsored for a Bachelor of Medicine degree at the Technical University of Mombasa annually.
“God willing, after finishing their course, each doctor will be absorbed by the county hospitals for their internship and subsequently employed by the county,” Nassir said.
The governor’s education programme also includes feeding more than 12,600 Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learners daily.
“Apart from that, we are providing Sh3,200 annual capitation and learning materials for every child. We have also hired 160 ECDE teachers and daycare caregivers and constructed eight new ECDE centres,” Nassir said.
He said the school-feeding programme has increased enrolment by nearly 30 per cent.
Seraphina Awino, a parent and Changamwe resident, said she was delighted when her son went home one day with forms to fill in.
The forms were for the No Child Left Behind policy, which mandates that all schoolchildren must attend school.
Suleiman Kulonda, a Likoni resident whose son is in Form 3, said he initially managed the school fees easily, but struggled when his business slowed down.
“I started struggling to pay the required school fees and my son was often sent home,” he said.
Kulonda was losing hope and feared his son would not reach Form 4.
However, he noted the county government’s announcement of the Elimu Fund renewed his hopes.
“Now, I am 100 per cent sure my son will go all the way to KCSE exam and perhaps even university,” Kulonda said.
He said the school feeding programme is another relief, as he no longer worries about his son’s lunch.
“I used to worry about what my son would eat when he came home for lunch, but that is no longer a concern. The county is providing that for me. That is a burden lessened, allowing me to focus on providing food and rent,” Kulonda said.
Susan David, from Chaani in Changamwe subcounty, said she is confident her two Form 4 candidates will perform well in the KCSE examination because their studies are no longer disrupted.
“I was worried my two girls might not be allowed to sit for examinations, or if they did, they would be too distracted by frequently being sent home for fees and perform poorly,” David said.
She also feared the school would withhold their examination results due to fee arrears.
“Now, that is no longer my worry,” she said.
Jomvu MP Badi Twalib said education is the greatest gift a parent and leader can offer children and the community.
He called on Mombasa residents to support leaders who value their children’s future.
“Education is the real equaliser. Without education, social divides persist. But once everyone is educated, those social classes are brought to the same level,” Twalib said.
He added that Mombasa parents have had their burdens eased, allowing them to direct their energy towards other productive areas.
Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba said education is the key to life.
He noted that most Mombasa learners underperform academically not due to a lack of ability, but because of hardships, including a lack of school fees.
“For one to perform any task well, they must have peace of mind. Without peace of mind, focus suffers, leading to poor outcomes,” the Kisauni MP said.
He said the bursaries provided by the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) are insufficient, making the additional county bursaries a major relief for both learners and parents.
Bedzimba said lunch fees have historically been a major obstacle for learners, who are frequently sent home for arrears.
