Murang'a governor Irungu Kang'ata addressing students and parents at Ihura stadium during the issuance of bursaries
More than 50,000 secondary school students in Murang’a county
have received a major reprieve after the county government resumed bursary
disbursements following months of uncertainty that had left many learners
stranded at home.
The long-awaited release of funds comes after the county
signed an intergovernmental agreement with the Ministry of Education in May
this year, paving the way for counties to issue bursaries legally to needy
students.
The move resolved a protracted standoff between county
governments and the Office of the Controller of Budget (CoB), which had earlier
declined to approve bursary payments, arguing that education support was a
national government function.
In January, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o
clarified that counties could only continue offering bursaries if they
established independent bursary funds or entered into Intergovernmental
Participation Agreements with the Ministry of Education.
The impasse had far-reaching effects in Murang’a, with many
students forced to drop out of school or take up casual jobs to raise fees
after being sent away.
“Today is a very important day because the county has procured
bursaries for top-performing students in day schools, those proceeding to
universities from day schools and those under county scholarships,” said
Governor Irungu Kang’ata during the launch of the bursary disbursement.
Murang’a became the first county to issue bursaries under
the new framework, bringing relief to thousands of families whose children’s
education had been disrupted.
In April, Kang’ata had moved to court, accusing CoB
Nyakang’o of defying court orders to approve the bursary funds. He sought her
jailing for six months for contempt, arguing that the delay violated the rights
of thousands of learners.
“She has refused to approve county bursary requisitions for
Murang’a and other counties, with the effect that thousands of beneficiaries
are unable to resume school due to lack of fees,” Kang’ata told the Nakuru High
Court.
He further said the CoB’s defiance was “against public
interest as it prejudices the education of thousands of children and undermines
the principles of devolution.”
The Murang’a Bursaries and Scholarship Fund runs three key
programmes — Inua Masomo, Freshers and Nyota Zetu — aimed at supporting
learners at different levels of education.
Under Inua Masomo, the county pays school fees every term
for the top 10 students in each day school to promote academic excellence. The
Freshers programme supports students joining universities from local day
schools with a one-off grant of Sh10,000 to help them enroll in their chosen
courses. Nyota Zetu provides full scholarships to bright but needy learners in
boarding schools.
Governor Kang’ata emphasised that education remains a core
priority for his administration.
“It is the government’s role to ensure its population is
educated because an enlightened society is better placed to drive economic
growth,” he said.
“We had challenges with the Controller of Budget, but we
managed to comply with the law by signing the intergovernmental agreement, publishing
it in the Kenya Gazette and notifying the National Assembly as required.”
For now, the resumption of the bursary programme has restored hope to thousands of students and parents across Murang’a — many of whom had feared their education journeys had come to an abrupt end.
