By Blaise Gitonga
Maara Constituency bursary beneficiaries are among the top performers in the just released 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The program, which is funded through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) awards bursaries to needy and bright students in the constituency, which covers various education related costs.
According to Maara Member of Parliament (MP) Kareke Mbiuki, 2024 candidates under the program posted exemplary results with major improvements compared to 2023, where he thanked teachers and education stakeholders for the great working relationship that has led to the great results.
In his congratulatory message to the students, MP Kareke noted that his office has set aside funds in the 2024-2025 Financial Year towards bursaries to ensure students who have acquired university entry grades transition successfully to university.
Additionally, the MP asked the government to streamline the new university funding model and promised more engagement with stakeholders to look at areas of improvement in the constituency.
“I want to congratulate all our 2024 candidates from all our Maara Constituency schools for posting great results. Our bursary beneficiaries have also performed well and we can see the fruits of our labor. I want to thank the students for ensuring Maara continues to shine witnessing a major improvement from 2023. We have invested a lot of resources in education and this has led to the good results”, he said.
Terran Baraka Mwenda, one of the bursary beneficiaries who scored an A Plain (83 Points) from Chogoria Boys High School while speaking to the media detailed the hardships of being raised by his grandmother, a journey that had a lot of challenges including the payment of school fees after we was accepted to the school having scored 366 marks in his KCPE.
“I am a beneficiary of the CDF bursary which made sure I studied without any fee arrears. We have a lot of challenges at home. I have been taking care of my grandmother who suffers dementia and hypertension so I am in charge of cooking, taking care of her and other chores. I also have a small brother in Grade 6”, he said.
Baraka’s plea to well-wishers is to sponsor his university education, where he wants to pursue Medicine.
“In class 6 I lost my mother and this has motivated me to pass and become a doctor because I wouldn’t want anyone else to suffer due to illness”, he said.
Curtis Mwenda’s case is no different. The former Kiriani Mixed Day Secondary School student scored a B- in the 2024 KCSE examinations and hopes to study Education at the university.
Mwenda revealed he had no hopes of joining secondary school until he got knowledge of the Maara Bursary Program, and since he was among the qualifies students with 320 marks, he applied and was listed as a beneficiary.
“I was among the students with 300 and above marks from a public primary school as required. I applied for the bursary and I have been a beneficiary since form one. I stay with my grandmother and I was determined to pass my examinations prompting me to spend most of my time, including nights at school reading despite it being a day school. I want to thank well-wishers including the constituency bursary program for supporting my education”, he told the media.
Samwel Kinyua, another beneficiary who scored an A- from Meru School expressed he was proud with his performance after financial struggles, saying his ambitions to be an Aeronautical Engineer were almost coming true.
“The support I received through bursaries from Maara Constituency CDF and other well-wishers served as a major boost to my education. I believe my grade will enable me enroll for my dream course at the university”, he said.
Other beneficiaries who performed well include Mark Dennis Munene and Alex Mutethia who scored C+ from Giampampo Day Secondary School and Kelvin Mwenda who scored a B- from Kianjagi Day Secondary School. Other from Kianjagi Secondary School are Martin Mutuma and Ian Muthomi who scored C+