Lobby Pushes for Harmonization of Bursary Kitties

A national education lobby wants all bursaries to be harmonized and consolidated into a single funding kitty. 

This would make it easier for the public to track the allocation and utilization of education funds, leading to greater accountability and trust in the education system, group officials say.

The chairman of Wadau Wa Elimu Ben Orwasa, said the current fragmented bursary allocations system heavily complicates the matter more for the applicants.

“Distributing bursaries from various sources such as the Ministry of Education (MoE), Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), and Governors can be burdensome and inefficient,” he said in a statement.

He said by consolidating all education funds into a single national kitty, the government can ensure a more equitable and transparent distribution of resources.

A consolidated education fund would further help reduce regional and socio-economic disparities in accessing education by providing a more equitable distribution of resources, Orwasa stated.

A single consolidated kitty would also help the government align its vision and blend it well with the Constitution.

“The 2010 Constitution emphasizes the importance of free and compulsory basic education for all children. By establishing a national kitty to fully finance education, the government can better align its actions with the constitutional provisions'” he said.

The issue of education funding is a hot debate with many stakeholders calling for a review to have it consolidated to ensure it is free at all levels.

The stakeholders believe there is enough money that can enable the country to have free education from primary to tertiary education.

This is because many students are missing out due to a lack of school fees in the current funding model amid calls to review it.

The government has now ordered universities to ensure all students are admitted for now irrespective of if one has paid school fees or not.

By Magati Obebo