Three students from Lamu county who excelled in the 2022 KCPE examinations were airlifted to school in a Kenya Defence Force chopper on their first day of school.

The three were airlifted from Manda Airport on Tuesday after receiving a fully funded scholarship by KDF in collaboration with local administration.

The students who will study at Moi Forces Academy (MFA), Nairobi, were seen off by Commander Operation Amani Boni (OAB) Col. Joel Tanui and Lamu West constituency manager Jeremiah Murimi.

Col. Tanui congratulated them for their outstanding performance and urged them to continue working hard and elevate their families and give back to society.

“Education remains the key to elevating you as an individual and the society at large to greater heights,” Col. Tanui said.

Murimi thanked the KDF for supporting the needy students from poor families to further their studies and assured of more collaboration with other needy Lamu students by disbursing a bursary.

Mkuu Shelali, a parent from Kizingitini, urged the students to remember their backgrounds and work extra hard to achieve their goals and change the situation at home.

Issuance of scholarships is part of KDF's local population-centred approach in collaboration with local authorities to empower the locals and strengthen cooperation towards the eradication of terrorism.

Lamu county has over the years been a terror hotspot where some of the attacks have been blamed on the radicalisation the youth from the region who are easily enticed due to idleness.