By Esitika Denis
The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya has called on politicians to stop using bursaries for their personal and political gain.
Speaking to journalists in Eldoret, the council’s North Rift chairperson, Sheikh Abubakar Bini, emphasized the importance of consolidating the bursary funds in one kitty so that they can benefit all students without discrimination.
“This issue of education is important and deserves to be prioritized. How can we ensure that our children do not miss out on education? This is the vision of the founders of this nation, to fight against three things: ignorance, disease and poverty,” he said.
The clergy also highlighted the need for parents to recognize the significance of education and to refrain from relying on free handouts that do not provide lasting benefits for their children.
It shouldn’t be that we say everything should be free. That little contribution is also important. The economy is indeed tough, but despite the difficulties, let us help our children receive an education. We should not leave this burden to the government alone, as we said everything is the government’s responsibility,” Bini said.
There has been a debate over the duplication of roles when it comes to funds allocated to bursaries with calls for them to be abolished.
Chief Justice Martha Koome is among those advocating for the collapse of the bursaries into one fund that she argued can be used to provide free education in the country.
Currently, Kenya has at least three different bursaries that students can access. They include one provided by the Ministry of Education, the other by the National Assembly through the Constituency Development Fund and the other by county governments.
