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Hope, relief as hundreds in Kamukunji collect bursary cheques

A Kamukunji resident displays a bursary cheque at the California Ajira Centre on May 6, 2024, where hundreds gathered to obtain the financial assistance for educational pursuits. (Photo: Kevin Muthoni)

By Abdirahman Khalif | 06 May 2024

Parents and students braved the morning rain, some queuing as early as 6 am, eager to receive financial assistance for their educational pursuits.

Hundreds of residents of Kamukunji Constituency, Nairobi, gathered at the California Ajira Centre on Monday to collect bursary cheques that will help them complete their secondary and university education.

Parents and students braved the morning rain, some queuing as early as 6 am, eager to receive financial assistance for their educational pursuits.

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The cheque collection followed an event on Saturday, at which Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan presided over the issuance of the bursary cheque, saying close to 10,000 students would benefit.

A record-breaking Sh61 million from the Kamukunji Constituency National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) was given—the largest disbursement so far in the constituency.

The Kamukunji NGCDF continues to play a crucial role in uplifting the community and ensuring no student is left behind due to financial constraints.

We had an exceptional bursary day in Kamukunji today. The Kamukunji @NGCDF_Kenya disbursed some 61.7 million shillings, benefiting a record-breaking 9,000 needy students. This marks the largest CDF disbursement in Kamukunji constituency. As Nelson Mandela aptly said, "Education… pic.twitter.com/zfZMd0ACti
— Yusuf Hassan (@MPyusufhassan) May 4, 2024

Fridah Marekani, a teaching graduate from Section 3, shared her story with The Eastleigh Voice on Monday, saying she was afraid she would have to drop out of school after her father's death. With the bursary, she completed her studies in 2014.

"I would have been a dropout without this bursary," she said. "When my father died, I was helpless. Thank God, I am now a graduate.

Bursary cheques on display at the California Ajira Centre on May 6, 2024, where hundreds gathered to obtain the financial assistance for educational pursuits. (Photo: Kevin Muthoni)

This time, Fridah collected the bursary for a nephew she said was an orphan.

Veronica Akoth, a mother from Pumwani who is living with a disability, said she worked and paid for her children's education until her life took a tragic turn when she was hit by a boda boda rider and admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital.

After she was discharged, she found her eldest child at home due to the non-payment of school fees.

Unable to work, Akoth turned to the NGCDF for assistance, ensuring her child's education continued uninterrupted.

"He received the bursary until he completed Form Four, and it did not stop there. The bursary catered to his university education until he graduated," she said.

Kamukunji residents wait in a queue at the California Ajira Centre on May 6, 2024, where hundreds gathered to obtain the financial assistance for educational pursuits. (Photo: Kevin Muthoni)

On Monday, Akoth collected a cheque for her granddaughter, Merryann, and was hopeful that she too would complete her higher education.

Some students and parents picked up the cheques for the first time, praising the process as efficient.

Paul Otieno from Shauri Moyo, one such beneficiary, said, "My child is in Form Four. This is a significant boost, especially in these hard economic times," he said.

In his address to the people on Saturday, MP Yusuf said, "I hope those who receive these cheques will put effort into their studies, work hard, and complete their education."