Kenya’s bursary allocation system is under scrutiny after data revealed by the Usawa Agenda revealed glaring disparities in how different categories of senior schools access financial support. The data shows boys’ schools consistently outperforming girls’ and mixed institutions across nearly all funding sources, raising questions about equity and fairness in resource distribution.
According to the findings, Member of Parliament (MP) bursaries dominate the landscape, reaching an average of 92.6 per cent of schools nationwide. Boys’ schools recorded the highest uptake at 93.9 per cent, underscoring the heavy reliance on constituency‑based allocations to support learners.
Governor‑sponsored bursaries followed at an average of 64.9 per cent, while private sources accounted for 60.4 per cent. In sharp contrast, allocations from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the President’s office were far lower, averaging 22.5 per cent and 13.7 per cent respectively.
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The data further revealed that boys’ senior schools consistently received more bursary support than their counterparts. Mixed schools generally performed better than girls’ schools, but both categories trailed boys’ institutions in overall coverage.
However, analysts argue that the dominance of MP and governor bursaries reflects the political nature of resource allocation, while the relatively low contribution from national offices points to weaknesses in centralised support. They have also warned that while localised funding streams have helped many learners, the uneven distribution risks entrenching inequalities between school types and regions, undermining the goal of inclusive education.
By Masaki Enock
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