Butula MP Joseph Oyula has told critics to go slow on their condemnation over the CDF bursary scheme, saying the programme is non-discriminative.
The second-term lawmaker said in a statement on Saturday the plan will cover all students in the constituency, irrespective of their geographical location.
Critics have been claiming that sections of the constituency have been deliberately left out in the programme.
The ODM MP said his vision is to support the government's realisation of 100 per cent transition from primary school to university.
“This is in line with the government’s agenda of making education affordable and accessible from pre-primary to tertiary to increase the levels of technical expertise for local and international consumption on the labour market,” Oyula said.
“The primary mandate of every government is to ensure illiteracy among its citizens is fought at all cost. That is why we are giving each student who will apply Sh5,000 to keep them in school.”
He told critics alleging that the programme had sidelined areas where the MP did not receive enough votes to encourage residents to apply for bursary as only those who apply will receive funding.
To ensure all residents get the fair chance to apply for the bursary, the legislator, through the CDF chairman Hezron Odongo, has directed his office to conduct mobile applications for all sublocations to save parents the cost of travelling.
“We want to reach out to all parents and ensure no student is locked out. We will visit day schools and give a chance for all students to apply as long as they possess the right documents,” Odongo told the Star.
To accommodate those in boarding school, the MP’s office plans to extend the application until March 5.
Bursary committee chairperson Janepher Okode said parents are turning up in large numbers to register their children for bursary.
“We notified every constituent about this programme. I'm impressed by the high number of parents who are registering their children,” she said.
Okode said the registration is being done in every ward to ensure needy student fill the bursary forms as they await allocation.
“I'm focusing on every student in this constituency, more so those from humble backgrounds to ensure nothing hinders them from accessing education,” she said.
Bumala B resident David Otieno said, “This timely intervention will help cushion parents from the hard-economic times as most were unable to pay school fees."
"My appeal to parents is to ensure no child in Butula is left behind to idle on streets and indulge in drug abuse.”
School principals urged the MP to upgrade school infrastructure to match the number of students in the institutions.
