Lawmakers set up committee to merge bursary programs
“We have MPs, MCAs, governors, and women leaders all issuing bursaries, yet the money essentially comes from the same public purse,” Wetang’ula observed.
Kenya's lawmakers have established a 17-member ad hoc committee tasked with harmonizing the country’s fragmented bursary systems into a single, streamlined framework.
The team has been given 90 days to develop draft legislation that will create a unified, sustainable financing model covering basic, university, and tertiary education.
This move seeks to fix inefficiencies in the current education funding landscape, which is marked by multiple, overlapping sources such as the national and county governments, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), among others.
Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, who sponsored the motion in Parliament, said the primary aim is to consolidate education financing mechanisms to support the delivery of free and compulsory basic education under a national fund.
The committee plans to consult widely with key players — students, educational institutions, funding agencies, private sector actors, and various government departments — to uncover duplication, waste, and governance gaps, and to recommend an appropriate management structure for the new fund.
The effort follows a directive by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula last year calling for all bursary and scholarship programmes to be merged.
His directive came after Chief Justice Martha Koome raised concerns over the inconsistency and inefficiency of the existing model.
"We have MPs, MCAs, governors, and women leaders all issuing bursaries, yet the money essentially comes from the same public purse," Wetang’ula observed.
Mohamed pointed out that despite the presence of numerous education funding avenues, many parents continue to shoulder the burden of expenses such as boarding fees, meals, and learning materials.
He noted that the committee will carry out a comprehensive review of all education-related funds at both the national and county levels.
This includes mapping out and analysing existing initiatives such as government capitation.
According to Mohamed, the current bursary allocation process is marred by a lack of transparency and vague eligibility guidelines, resulting in instances where undeserving students benefit while genuinely needy learners are left out.
The committee's membership includes Junet Mohamed, Naisula Lesuuda (Samburu West), Mary Emase (Teso South), Stephen Mule (Matungulu), Elijah Kururia (Gatundu North), Amina Udgoon (Garissa Woman Representative), Omboko Milemba (Emuhaya), Eve Obara (Kabondo Kasipul), Titus Khamala (Lurambi), and Oncheke Charles (Bonchari).