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By Shaban Makokha
Kakamega– For many families in Kakamega, the journey from a village classroom to a university lecture hall is not simply an academic pursuit—it is a battle against poverty.
It is a struggle against school fees, accommodation costs, books, meals, transport, and the painful reality that a bright child can be forced to abandon their dreams simply because the family cannot raise the money to keep them in school.
Across rural Kakamega, many children who perform exceptionally well in school face an uncertain future after completing secondary education. Some come from families that depend on small-scale farming. Others are raised by single parents, guardians, or grandparents who struggle to provide even basic necessities. For such families, university education often seems like a distant dream.
A scholarship can change that equation. It can prevent an aspiring nurse, teacher, engineer, or doctor from giving up on their studies.
For hundreds of young people in Kakamega, that story is slowly changing. Education is increasingly becoming a bridge to a better future as the county government expands scholarships, bursaries, and student financing programmes aimed at ensuring that poverty does not determine how far a child can go.
On Monday, Governor Fernandes Barasa presided over the 2026 Barasa Jamii Scholarship Awards at Golf Hotel in Kakamega, marking another major step in the county’s growing investment in education. The scholarship programme, implemented in partnership with ACESS Kenya, has now entered its fifth cohort.
Since its establishment in 2022, the programme has supported 333 students, representing a cumulative investment of KSh254 million. This year alone, KSh54 million has been committed to full scholarships for 89 bright students drawn from across the 60 wards of Kakamega County. According to the county government, the beneficiaries come from underprivileged backgrounds and are pursuing various courses in institutions of higher learning across the country.
Governor Barasa said the latest education package sends a clear message to thousands of young people across Kakamega: poverty may be part of your story, but it should not have the final word.
“We have expanded the path through scholarships, widened the safety net through bursaries, and strengthened the Revolving Fund and Afya Elimu Fund,” said Dr. Barasa. “The package has opened another avenue for students pursuing higher and medical education.”
For the students and their families, the scholarships represent not only financial assistance but also hope. They symbolise the possibility that a child who once feared being sent home for lack of school fees can finally sit in a university classroom with confidence.
For Governor Barasa, education remains one of the key pillars of his Six-Point Agenda, with the county seeking to create opportunities for children to realise their potential regardless of their socio-economic circumstances.
“The philosophy behind the expanded education support is simple: a child’s ability should not be measured by the size of their parents’ pockets,” he said.
The county has continued to widen its education interventions. Governor Barasa noted that the county government disbursed KSh180 million in bursaries during the last financial year, benefiting 47,793 students. “Of this amount, KSh150 million supported secondary school students, while KSh30 million went to students enrolled in county polytechnics,” he added.
These figures point to an education strategy that goes beyond supporting a few university students. The county is attempting to intervene at different stages of the education journey—from funding ECDE to secondary school, technical training, and higher education. For a child from a struggling household, such interventions can make the difference between staying in school and dropping out.
The latest announcement has also opened another door for students pursuing higher and medical education. Governor Barasa announced the opening of applications for the Kakamega County Revolving Fund and Afya Elimu Fund for the 2026/2027 financial year. The programmes have received an initial Sh100 million seed investment.
Barasa announced: “Applications opened on August 17 and will close on August 31, 2026. Eligible students are advised to apply through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Students’ Portal.”
This intervention is particularly significant for students pursuing medical and other higher education courses, where the cost of training can be overwhelming for families with limited incomes. For most students, the announcement means the difference between postponing their education and remaining on campus, as it provides the financial breathing space needed to complete professional training and enter the workforce.
There is an emotional reality behind every education statistic. Behind the figure of 89 scholarship beneficiaries is a student who has spent years studying with one question hanging over their head: Will I be able to continue? Behind the 47,793 bursary beneficiaries are thousands of families that have struggled to keep their children in school.
While education has always been described as the key to unlocking opportunity, that key is useless when a family cannot afford the door. Scholarships, bursaries, and student funds provide that missing link. They turn academic potential into opportunity, opportunity into qualifications, and qualifications into employment, entrepreneurship, and improved livelihoods.
Today’s scholarship beneficiaries are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, accountants, entrepreneurs, researchers, and public servants. They will return to their communities carrying knowledge that can transform families and neighbourhoods, and support another child tomorrow through the multiplier effect of education.
Governor Barasa’s administration says its expanded support is designed to ensure that children from poor households are not locked out of opportunity simply because of their financial circumstances. The county’s latest intervention comes at a time when the cost of education continues to put pressure on households. For many parents, every school term brings another financial calculation—fees, uniforms, books, transport, food, accommodation, and medical expenses.
The scholarship awards ceremony brought together county officials and education stakeholders, including ACESS Kenya Country Director Dr. Antony Mutevane, County Executive Committee Members led by Education CECM Dr. Benard Amwayi, County Secretary and Head of Public Service Dr. Lawrence Omuhaka, and other county government officials.
