Written By Ramadhan Kambi
Kilifi ODM nominee Gideon Mungaro has promised to increase the county scholarship from the current Sh350 million to Sh700 million.
The move he said was meant to make sure that the target of the funds are meant and to also make sure that every Kilifian get an equal share of the bursary.
Mr Mungaro spoke when he led his Azimio team in a campaign trail in Mwawesa and Ruruma wards in Rabai Sub-County.
“The number of bright and needs students in Kilifi County is big and the current allocation can’t solve their demands. So with an increased allocation, then we hope to even reach a big number of the needy students. We want to double the allocation,” he told Mwawesa residents at Chiferi village.
Currently Kilifi county allocates Sh10 million every financial year to the 35 wards which totals to Sh350.
“My administration targets to increase the allocation from Sh10million to Sh20 million, a program meant at benefiting a big number of students,”he said.
Mr Mungaro also said he is atleast targeting 100 students from each of the seven sub counties to benefit from the bursary kitty in order to have an accountable number of students benefiting from the program. Currently he said there is no targeted number of students the county can purport to have assisted despite the many funds that has been allocated since 2013.
“It is almost ten years now since the kitty was allocated but there are no numbers to show for those who were targeted,” he said.
The late William Kamoti s brother Mohamed Mwamkale who is vying for the seat after the death of his brother promised to open NG-CDF bursary offices in all the four wards to enable many residents access bursary.
“Intially many residents had to trek all the way to the main CDF office, a situation that inconvenienced many people. Now when I become an MP, then I will devolve this office to each ward so that the locals can access the funds from their wards,” said Mr Mwamkale.
The former Mariakani civic leader was given the ODM ticket to vie for the seat following the death of his brother the late William Kamoti in a tragic accident two weeks ago.
” I know my brother had also a dream of building a technical school and a KIMTC campus in Rabai before he met his untimely death. I want to assure the residents of Rabai that we shall accomplish this when I get elected as the next Rabai MP,” he said at Ruruma.
And later during a public debate that had been organised by the Media Council at Pwani University Mr Mung’aro promised to revive the agricultural sector and pump more funds in his efforts to address food security.
“We all know that food security is important in our everyday lives. When I served as Malindi MP, I was the pioneer of the current robust farming along River Sabaki. I empowered many farmers with pumps and irrigation equipment and until now most of them are practising agriculture along the banks near Lango Baya. So food security is an area I am highly targeting because it is through that where we can address food insecurity,” he said.
Among those who attended the debate included governor nominees George Kithi and Martin Tinga. Aisha Jumwa and Kasoso Wa Baya failed to attend the debate.
