National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has written to the Ministry of Education requesting information and data to develop a policy aimed at guiding the distribution of bursaries across Kenya.
This move comes amid concerns over the current uncoordinated approach to issuing bursaries and scholarships.
In a letter to Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang dated August 14, Wetang’ula highlighted that the current system for awarding bursaries and scholarships often leads to duplication.
“We have received a petition noting that the current uncoordinated approach towards the issuance of bursaries and scholarships from public funds by the Ministry of Education, the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), and county governments has, in some instances, led to a duplication of awards,” the letter read.
The National Assembly also noted that a petition has been filed in the High Court in Nakuru, seeking the consolidation of existing bursaries and scholarships to improve coordination.
“As a result, the Speaker of the National Assembly has instructed the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly to formulate a legislative proposal establishing a defined structure for the administration of public bursaries and scholarships,” the letter further stated.
Wetang’ula has requested the Ministry of Education to provide any relevant information that could assist in drafting the legislative proposal, including any existing policy documents or draft bills.
Meanwhile, the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Committee has launched a campaign opposing a proposed plan to consolidate all public-funded bursary schemes into one to enhance education financing.
Members of the committee voiced their concerns on Thursday amid ongoing debates about overlapping functions among public entities that finance education.
The debate intensified after a National Assembly caucus considered merging bursary funds to address issues related to the newly introduced university funding model.
Committee Chairperson Musa Sirma, MP for Eldama Ravine, emphasized the impact of the NG-CDF and urged the public to support its continuation.
He highlighted that the NG-CDF has been crucial in supporting poor households by covering school fees and upgrading essential learning infrastructure across the country.
“All of us are here to benefit from this vital fund, and you can clearly see what the fund is doing to improve our learning infrastructure,” Sirma said during an NG-CDF bursary distribution event in Dagoretti North Constituency on Thursday. He described the proposals to abolish the NG-CDF as ill-intended.
Echoing Sirma’s sentiments, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi urged parents to ensure timely payment of fee balances, noting that NG-CDF bursaries alone are insufficient to keep learners in school.
Their remarks follow Chief Justice Martha Koome’s proposal for free higher education to address bursary overlaps and the inequitable classification of students under the new funding scheme.
Koome suggested consolidating all bursary funds at the national and sub-national levels to mobilize the resources needed for free tertiary education.
She criticized the proposed funding model, which places students in different categories based on a socio-economic assessment of their families, as potentially disenfranchising students.
“A child who has qualified for university could be crying, saying, ‘I have been placed in Band V when I should be in Band I; therefore, I cannot afford to go to university,'” Koome observed. “In some cases, you may find that a well-to-do family has been placed in Band I,” she added.
Koome proposed consolidating bursaries administered by governors, Members of Parliament, and Members of County Assemblies to enhance funding for tertiary institutions.
Earlier, lawmakers proposed merging all funds and bursaries supporting needy students to address an apparent funding crisis in higher learning institutions.
The proposed reforms aim to consolidate the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and all funds, including scholarships and bursaries issued by governors and legislators, both nationally and sub-nationally.
The current funding model places students in five bands using eight variables, including parents’ background, gender, course type, marginalization, disability, family size, and composition.
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