A proposal to replace the bursary fund with direct funding to schools draws mixed reactions from Nakuru parents. Tucked away in this debate is a critical issue on how education resources are allocated and the role of politics in bursary distribution.
A number of Nakuru parents have lauded the proposal. One such parent, Andrew Kirui, said that this will make everything easy and that all students will now benefit, regardless of their background. According to Kirui, who spoke in Total town, most politicians are using bursaries for personal benefit, making many deserving students miss out.
“Replacing or merging bursaries is good and we support the proposal. Politicians have been using bursaries for their political gains even as needy students are locked out,” Kirui said.
The parents called on Members of Parliament to pass the bill and argued that no child should be denied a chance to pursue education due to lack of school fees. That stance, therefore, agrees with the broader aspirations for effectively disbursing the education funds equitably.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey has also reacted to the same, saying that huge amounts of money spent by the government in the form of education bursaries should be changed and channeled directly to schools so as to increase efficiency and avoid the prevalent misappropriation of resources.
“The government spends huge amounts of funds for bursaries every year. It is this money that should be channeled to school directly. I know elected leaders are not willing to abandon the kitty because they use it for politics,” Cherargey opined.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa leads the way in this legislative charge towards substituting bursaries with direct financing to schools. He has prepared a motion for the merging of bursaries and thereafter channeling the cash directly into the learning institutions, killing two birds with one stone: stopping political machination over bursary funds and ensuring resources get to the most needy at the basic level.