Nearly 2,000 vulnerable Nairobi students receive County scholarships

A total of 1,957 Form Three and Form Four students drawn from all 17 sub-counties were awarded scholarships during a mass distribution exercise held at Lady Northey Day Nursery under the Nairobi City County Executive Scholarship Programme. The initiative is designed to support learners from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and help them complete their secondary education without interruption.

Parents welcomed the programme, describing it as a timely intervention that has eased the burden of school fees and enabled their children to remain in school.

“This scholarship has lifted a huge financial burden from our family,” said Jerusha Kagwigiria, whose child was among the beneficiaries. “It gives my child the opportunity to stay in school and focus on learning without interruption. I am grateful to the County Government for standing with families like ours.”

Peter Chege, another parent, said the scholarships had renewed hope for many households facing economic hardship.

“Many parents are facing economic challenges, and this support gives us hope. By investing in education, the County is giving our children an opportunity to succeed and build a better future,” he said.

The Executive Scholarship Programme forms part of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja's education agenda, which seeks to expand access to quality education for learners from low-income households while reducing financial barriers that contribute to school dropouts.

Beyond scholarships, the county has invested in the construction and rehabilitation of Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres, improved learning infrastructure, and expanded programmes aimed at supporting vulnerable learners.

The county has also scaled up its Dishi Na County school feeding programme, which provides subsidised nutritious meals to more than 300,000 pupils in public primary schools at a cost of KSh5 per meal. The initiative has been credited with boosting school enrolment, improving attendance, reducing dropout rates and enhancing learning outcomes.

County officials said the Executive Scholarship Programme continues to support thousands of needy but academically promising students each year, helping ensure that financial constraints do not deny children access to education.