KISUMU, Kenya, Jan 22 — Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu has opposed attempts to consolidate bursary funds at the national level, noting that the majority of needy students would be locked out.
Buyu stated that bursary programs at the grassroots level have had a significant impact on the lives of children from poor households.
She emphasized that bursaries provided through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) have enabled many students to complete their studies at various stages.
“If you centralize bursaries in Nairobi, who will remember that there are vulnerable people in the villages who cannot afford to send their children to school?” she questioned.
Backlash
A proposal to amalgamate all funds supporting needy students has continued to face backlash from political leaders including MPs and Governors who run indipendent bursary funds.
Buyu argued that NG-CDF, administered by MPs, has had the most effective management of bursary funds.
The Council of Governors (CoG) has also expressed strong opposition to the recent directive by the Controller of Budget (CoB) instructing devolved units to halt the withdrawal of funds for bursary schemes covering primary, secondary, and tertiary education.
Buyu warned that children in remote areas would suffer if bursaries were centralized at the national level.
“Nobody will know these children exist. Due to the poverty in our rural areas, it is only NG-CDF that has penetrated these villages and identified the needy students for sponsorship,” she said.
Speaking on Wednesday during the opening of eight newly refurbished classrooms at Kowino Comprehensive Primary School, completed at a cost of Sh4.5 million courtesy of NG-CDF, the MP stated that abolishing the fund would bring more misery to the people.
“Some people are proposing that we do away with NG-CDF and return the functions to the national government. That would be a death sentence for our people,” she said.
According to Buyu, NG-CDF has also ensured that schools in rural areas receive equal funding for infrastructure improvements, thus enhancing education standards.
“This fund creates opportunities and ensures equitable development even in remote areas that were long forgotten,” she concluded.
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