Five months after Nairobi City County Assembly MCAs passed the 2023/24 budget, the county government has been faulted over delayed disbursement of bursary funds that has rendered most school going children, majority from humble background discontinue attending school.
Through a motion tabled by Kayole Central MCA Jeremiah Themendu, he accused the governor Sakaja of reneging on the promises that he made.
He lamented of learners dropping out of school due to lack of school fees Nairobi County Executive promised to give each of the 85 wards of the city Sh7million bursary kitty.
In the budget for the 2023/24 financial year, for Nairobi county increased the bursary allocation from the previous Sh3million per ward to Sh7million.
“Despite the commitment by the county executive, bursary cheque have not been released and the government is not saying anything.” Woodley Kenyatta Golf Course MCA Davidson Ngibuini said.
He lamented that some children are out of school due to lack of fees and bursary delays.
“We cannot say that this great city is working because we are not taking our children to school. It is a sad state of affairs when money is being collected every day.” Ngibuini added.
The MCAs have linked delays in releasing bursary money to alleged mismanagement of finances at City Hall.
“Nairobi county declared that it collected Sh10.6billion in the last financial year. If this is divided by 365 days in a year, the county collected about Sh29 million per day.” Ngibuini said.
He added that: “Our bursaries is Sh7 million per ward. If you multiply that by the 85 wards, you get about 595 million, money that will take the county government just 20 days to raise.”
