Senators are calling for a unified approach to the country’s education funding, aiming to ensure equitable access to education and eliminate financial barriers for learners.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, speaking during a Senate debate on Wednesday December 4, 2024, emphasized the need to consolidate bursary schemes and make education free at all levels.
“I take this opportunity to support this motion to consolidate bursaries. Rights to quality and basic education should be a basic right to every Kenyan. As a country, we should be pushing for free education right from ECDE to university,” Cherargei said.
The senator criticized the current bursary system, which he described as politically motivated and inefficient.
“The issue of bursary has become political tokenism where people who have been elected give bursaries to their campaigners,” he argued.
Despite the availability of bursaries under programs like the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF), the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), and county governments, many students remain out of school due to financial constraints.
“You realize that under NGCDF they are giving out bursaries, NGAAF that is run by women reps, they are giving out bursaries, County Governments they are giving out bursaries, yet there are a number of students who cannot access education that stay at home because they lack school fees,” Cherargei added.
Thangwa’s motion
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa introduced a motion to consolidate all bursary programs under the Ministry of Education, with the aim of directing these funds to schools as supplementary capitation.
This approach, Thangwa believes, will help achieve free secondary education for all Kenyans.
The proposal also calls for an audit of bursary allocations across the national and county governments to ensure transparency and efficiency.
It seeks to calculate the cost of education per learner and make the information publicly available, providing a detailed breakdown of financial requirements for primary, secondary, and tertiary education.
Echoing the motion’s objectives, Cherargei advocated for a complete overhaul of the funding system.
“On this motion of consolidation of bursary, let us consolidate the entire bursary, let us make the education be free from primary, secondary, university. Every Kenyan child should have a right to access education in this country,” he said.
The senator reflected on the role financial aid played in his own life.
“If some of us were not beneficiaries of bursaries or Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds, we would not be senators,” he remarked, underscoring the life-changing impact of accessible education funding.
National Assembly
The motion has also gained traction in the National Assembly, where Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris sponsored a similar proposal.
Members of the National Assembly began debating the motion on September 25, 2024, focusing on reforms to unify bursary schemes and enhance transparency and access to education.
As discussions continue, the proposals have ignited hope among education stakeholders and families struggling with school fees.
Lawmakers supporting the motion argue that streamlining bursary funds and prioritizing free education is a necessary step to ensure that no Kenyan child is left behind.
With both the Senate and the National Assembly deliberating the matter, the push for consolidated bursary schemes and free education could signal a transformative shift in Kenya’s education landscape.
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