Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Julius Bitok on Friday, January 23 unveiled the 2026 Elimu and Campaigns for Female Education (CAMFED) scholarships for 12,337 Grade 10 learners.
The three-year long scholarships valued at KSh20 billion include 10,000 Elimu scholarships funded by the World Bank and 2,337 CAMFED sponsorships for girls in Kajiado County.
The event was held at Moi Girls, Isinya.
Launched in 2020, the Elimu Scholarships have so far benefited 62,000 learners, with the programme targeting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged but brilliant learners.
To ensure that the most vulnerable learners benefit, the scholarship has quotas reserved for refugees and communities hosting refugees, urban slum residents and indigent communities.
The scholarship package covers school fees, toiletries, pocket money and transport to and from school.
Eligibility is determined by a vetting team made of Ministry of Education, chiefs and village representatives who undertake physical visits to the homes of potential beneficiaries to ascertain genuine need.
This comes just a day after President William Ruto directed that all students transitioning to Grade 10 be allowed to report to their assigned senior schools, even if they do not have the required school fees or uniforms.
“I am informed that many students have not reported to schools due to a lack of school fees and uniforms. I hereby direct parents and every chief to ensure that each child reports to school regardless of these requirements,” President Ruto directed during the Nyota Capital Disbursement event in Meru County.
To reiterate President Ruto’s directive, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said that all learners without senior school uniforms would be permitted to join senior schools in their junior school uniforms.
And in a bid to ensure 100% transition policy is achieved, CS Ogamba directed all senior and junior school heads to share details of learners who failed to report by January 21, 2026, with the data expected to assist sub-county directors of education in tracing students.
“Any report of non-compliance with the foregoing directives shall be made to the nearest Education Office or National Government Administration Office for appropriate action in accordance with the applicable law,” CS Ogamba said in a statement.
As of Wednesday, January 22, the Ministry of Education reported that just over 930,000 students out of the 1.13 million candidates who sat for the 2025 Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) had reported to school.
