Members of the National Assembly are considering a motion that seeks to reform the country’s education bursary schemes to ensure free and compulsory basic education for all.
The motion, sponsored by Nairobi County Woman MP Esther Passaris, seeks to consolidate the multiple bursary schemes into a unified system to enhance transparency, efficiency, and access to education.
In the the motion, Passaris emphasizes the constitutional right of every child to access free and compulsory education, as enshrined in the Constitution. It also seeks to address the persistent challenges faced by the current bursary system, including lack of transparency, delays in disbursements, and insufficient coverage of educational costs.
“Education is a right, not a privilege,” the Nairobi County Legislator remarked. “When I say free, I mean we have to provide the uniform, the books, we have to provide the teachers. No child should be left behind due to financial constraints.”
Motion to collapse bursary schemes
The motion proposes collapsing all existing bursary schemes—including the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), and other county and ward-based schemes—into one fund managed by the Ministry of Education. The consolidated funds would be remitted directly to schools, ensuring that every child benefits from free basic education.
The debate comes at a crucial time, with Members of Parliament calling for reforms in the education sector.
“We want the government to provide free basic compulsory education. No child should be at home,” urged the legislator, emphasizing the need to build more secondary schools.
Legislators voiced their support for the motion, citing the need to streamline bursary systems and ensure equal access to education.
Budalangi’s Raphael Wanjala, backed the proposal, stressing the importance of education as an equalizer in society.
“We have a Presidential Bursary, but the President doesn’t know which child is poor. The people tasked with distributing these funds often have other interests,” Wanjala argued. “Consolidating these funds will reduce duplication and mismanagement, ensuring that all needy children benefit equally.”
Marakwet East’s Timothy Torotich echoed similar sentiments, calling for the creation of a unified system to prevent multiple bursaries from going to the same students.
“We need to develop a system where, if a student benefits from one bursary, they cannot access another. Let’s align our bursary system for the sake of equity.”
Will collapsing bursaries help?
While the motion received significant support, some lawmakers raised concerns about the implications of centralizing bursary schemes.
Liza Chelule voiced her concern, highlighting that decentralization has enabled local leaders to directly assist students in their constituencies.
“The Ministry does not know our needy students on the ground. The funds should remain decentralized so they can benefit as many students as possible,” she argued, advocating for the existing system with enhanced funding to be maintained.
Debate on the motion is expected to continue in the National Assembly.
