NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 23 – Four organisations have partnered to simplify scholarship applications for learners with disabilities transitioning to Grade 10 in 2027, introducing a coordinated process designed to reduce paperwork, travel costs and duplication.
The KPC Foundation, National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), KCB Foundation and M-PESA Foundation have launched a joint initiative that will bring scholarship providers together under a harmonised recruitment framework.
The collaboration seeks to make it easier for learners and their families to access education funding by reducing the need to submit separate applications to different scholarship providers.
Under the arrangement, applicants will access a coordinated recruitment process supported by shared county-level structures, joint awareness campaigns and a standardised assessment and vetting framework.
The partners say the approach will improve transparency in beneficiary selection while minimising duplication of efforts and helping scholarship providers reach more eligible learners across the country.
Speaking during the launch, KPC Foundation Manager Rachel Gathoni said the initiative would make the transition to secondary education more accessible for learners with disabilities.
“By bringing scholarship providers together under one coordinated platform, we are making it easier for learners with disabilities and their families to access opportunities without the burden of multiple applications, or unnecessary travel costs. Our goal is to make the journey to secondary education simpler, more inclusive and dignified,” said Gathoni.
She said the collaboration would enable the organisations to combine their resources and networks to address barriers that learners with disabilities face when seeking education support.
Gathoni added that a unified approach would help promote fairness and transparency in identifying beneficiaries, ensuring that eligible learners are not disadvantaged by complicated application procedures.
Despite the harmonised recruitment process, each participating organisation will retain responsibility for selecting and enrolling beneficiaries under its respective scholarship programme.
Following the joint assessment, the providers will independently determine successful applicants based on their scholarship allocations, programme requirements and available resources.
The arrangement is expected to expand outreach to eligible learners while allowing the organisations to pool expertise and resources during the application and assessment stages.
The partnership places accessibility and inclusion at the centre of scholarship recruitment, particularly for learners with disabilities preparing to transition to Grade 10 in 2027.
By reducing administrative hurdles and travel requirements, the initiative aims to ease the burden on families and allow learners to focus on preparing for the next stage of their education.
The partners have not specified in the announcement the scholarship application dates, eligibility criteria or the number of learners expected to benefit from the initiative.