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Blow to high school, university students as Nyakang’o blocks county bursaries

High school, college and university students benefitting from bursary and scholarship schemes run by county governments are in for a rude shock after the Controller of Budget Dr Margaret Nyakang’o said the money is being spent outside their constitutional mandate.

In a circular, she warned counties against withdrawing funds from their accounts to support functions of the national government without proper documents.

Nyakang’o, advised the county leadership that her office will not authorise such payments unless they are accompanied by the requisite intergovernmental agreement between county governments and the national government.

“…any requisition for the withdrawal of funds to perform function categorises as national government functions under part 1 of the fourth schedule must be accompanied by the requisite intergovernmental agreement as prescribed by the law,” Dr Nyakang’o said.

Dr Nyakang’o noted that under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, universities, tertiary educational institutions, primary schools, special education, secondary schools, and special education institutions are designated as functions of the national government.

On the other hand, Part 2 of the Fourth Schedule Section 9, counties are assigned pre-primary education, village polytechnics, homecrafts and childcare facilities.

Several county governments have been disbursing millions of shillings in the form of bursaries and scholarships under programmes covering all levels of education in efforts to help needy students access education and to improve facilities in these institutions.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, for instance, set up a kitty of over Ksh1.02 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to cater for the scholarships and ward bursaries released.

The funds target students in secondary and tertiary training institutions.

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Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, on the other hand, yesterday launched bursary kitty worth Sh72 million for this financial year (2024/2025) to support learners from financially disadvantaged families.

Malombe said out of the Sh72 million set aside for the work vocational training centres (VTCs) received Sh21.6 million, making 30 per cent, National government Technical and Vocational Centres (Polytechnics) received Sh7.2 million, or 10 per cent, and Special Needs Education institutions received Sh3.6 million of five per cent.

Students in tertiary institutions, including Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and Kenya Water Institute (KEWI) got Ksh 7.2 million equivalent to 10 per cent. Secondary schools received Sh21.6 million – which is 30 per cent, while universities received Sh10.8 million that is 15 per cent of the total share.

An overview of counties shows that Marsabit County Education Fund, Kisumu County Education, Uasin Gishu County Bursary and Skills Development Support Fund, Kiambu County Education Bursary Fund, Samburu County Bursary Fund are some of the kitties that have been established.

Homa Bay county has established a Ksh215 million school bursary programme, while Kisii county has established a Ksh245 million bursary fund.

Indeed, analysis of the Controller of Budget reports shows that whereas the counties do make huge allocations for bursary fund, it is contrary to Part 2 of the Fourth Schedule under Section 9 assignments and most of the monies are never accounted for.

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