Nairobi County Woman Representaive, Esther Passaris, has introduced a motion in the National Assembly calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s bursary system, a move aimed at addressing longstanding issues within the country’s education funding framework.
The motion highlights a critical need for reform in the way education funding is distributed and managed, emphasizing the importance of ensuring equitable access to quality education for all Kenyan students.
“Cognizant that the duty of the government to provide free basic education can be best achieved by consolidating education funds and directly remitting to public schools, now therefore, this house urges that the government, through the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with various stakeholders, undertakes a comprehensive overhaul of the educational bursaries systems with a view to collapsing all bursary schemes and allocating funds to the State Department of Education for provision of free basic education through capitation to be directly remitted to schools,” she said.
Passaris underscored the constitutional right to education, referencing Article 43(1) in conjunction with Article 53(1) (b), which guarantees every child’s entitlement to free and compulsory basic education. She also pointed to Kenya Vision 2030, which identifies education as a cornerstone for the country’s transformation into a globally competitive nation.
“I beg to give notice on the following motion aware that Article 43(1) is read together with Article 53(1)B of the constitution provides that every person has the right to Education and enshrines the right of every child to free and compulsory basic education. Further aware that the Kenya Vision 2030 identifies education as a crucial component for transforming the country into a globally competitive nation,” she added.
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The motion acknowledges the crucial role that bursaries play in bridging the gap for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
However, Passaris expressed concern over the current system’s effectiveness, noting challenges such as lack of standardized criteria, delays in fund disbursement and insufficient coverage.
These issues, she argued, have led to persistent disparities in education access and increased dropout rates, particularly in secondary schools where financial constraints are mostly felt.
Passaris proposed that the government, in collaboration with stakeholders, undertakes a thorough review and reorganization of the existing bursary schemes. Her plan includes consolidating various bursary programs—ranging from ward-based to national-level schemes—into a unified system that allocates funds directly to the State Department of Education.
She said that this would facilitate the provision of free basic education through direct capitation to schools, aimed at eliminating financial barriers and ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to succeed.
By Frank Mugwe
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