The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party on Wednesday disagreed with the Controller of Budget’s directive to bar counties from issuing bursaries for higher institutions of learning.
In a statement dated January 15 and signed by the leadership of the party including ODM party leader Anyang’ Nyong’o, the Orange Democratic Movement expressed concerns over the recent directive by the Controller of Budget to impose financial restrictions on county governments.
In effect, the party called on the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o to recall the directive and institute a fair directive that will ensure learners from poor backgrounds in colleges, vocational training institutions, and universities benefit from counties’ bursaries.
“We call on the Controller of Budget to reconsider this directive and to apply equitable measures that uphold the constitutional rights and responsibilities of both levels of government,” read the statement.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o addressing members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) at a past event.
Swala Nyeti
According to the party, the decision to bar counties from sponsoring students in tertiary institutions highlights a troubling pattern of political double standards that undermine the principles of devolution.
“While county governments are being targeted with embargoes, the National Government continues to act with impunity, encroaching on devolved functions without consequence,” read the statement in part.
ODM noted that the National Government has continued to encroach on devolved functions like the unilateral payment of Community Health Promoters and the imposition of the housing levy despite it being a function of Counties.
Additionally, ODM took an issue with the National Government over the construction of markets without signed intergovernmental agreements.
“If financial embargoes are to be imposed on counties, the same must apply to the National Government until it complies with constitutional provisions for intergovernmental cooperation,” ODM argued.
The Anyang’ Nyong’o-led party also warned that if the directive was to be followed, its impacts would be felt most acutely in critical areas such as education, particularly in historically underserved and marginalized regions.
The party defended county governments noting they have implemented many transformative programs to increase access to education through bursary schemes, school feeding programs, and infrastructural support.
According to Governor Nyongo’ counties like Kisumu, Mombasa, Kisii, and Homa Bay and thousands of children rely on county-supported bursary programs and school initiatives to remain in school and thrive academically.
“If counties are barred from meeting their financial obligations, these students face expulsion, reversing hard-won gains in equitable access to education,” he warned.
ODM’s call comes a day after Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o wrote to counties barring them from issuing bursaries for institutions of higher learning.
In the letter dated, January 14, Nyakang’o outlined the clear distribution of functions between the County and National Governments.
She explained that students joining tertiary institutions should not be getting bursaries from the county governments as that is a function of the National Government.
The Controller of Budget, however, noted that the devolved has the power to fund students in other levels of education including pre-primary and village polytechnics.
It comes as n a December 20, 2024 ruling, the High Court deemed the system unconstitutional due to its lack of legal foundation, discriminatory nature, and failure to involve public participation.
Controller of budget, Mary Nyakang’o appears before the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee on February 22, 2023.
Citizen Digital