Sakaja Asks Controller of Budget to Change Stance on Bursary Issuance

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has echoed the concerns of several other Governors over the Controller of Budget’s (CoB’s) decision to stop counties from issuing bursaries.

In a statement on Monday, January 20, Sakaja urged CoB Margaret Nyakang’o to reconsider her stance as Governors were not asking for more money but an opportunity to promote education in their counties.

“We are not asking for more money, nor are we saying that the national government should set aside funds for bursaries. We are simply helping the needy,” Sakaja stated.

“In Nairobi alone, over 124,000 students are in school today because bursaries cover their fees. These children come from less-privileged families.”

This plea comes barely a week after the COB announced that the issuance of bursaries to students in primary schools, secondary schools, and universities was a mandate solely for the national government.

However, while defending his assertion, Sakaja noted that there was no explicit government function namely, ‘school fees’, and therefore Governors should be allowed to issue bursaries as they please.

“The Ministry of Education handles matters like paying teachers and setting the curriculum. However, supporting the welfare of learners is a shared responsibility that requires collaboration between all levels of government,” he said.

Sakaja continued to explain that for many students across the country, bursaries offered by counties are a lifeline that most families rely on to afford school fees.

Therefore, the city Governor asserted that robbing the students of these bursaries would not only cut their dreams short but also be detrimental to the nation’s education system.

“So many Kenyans are products of harambees and bursaries. The situation on the ground is dire, and we cannot ignore it. I urge the CoB to address this issue from a humanitarian perspective,” he stated.

“The role of government, at all levels, is to serve its people. Denying bursaries is denying opportunities for the future of this country.”

In the new directive, counties are only allowed to offer bursaries for pre-primary education, village polytechnics, homecraft centers, and childcare facilities.