Bursary beneficiaries to get unique identifiers as state moves to tame fraud

Beneficiaries of government bursaries and scholarships will be issued with unique identifiers and their institutions will file periodic reports to tame fraud.

In the draft Basic Education Scholarships and Bursaries, 2024, state seeks to establish Basic Education Scholarships and Bursaries Council, whose role will be to administer the bursaries and scholarships.

The draft bill also provides legal framework in the application and vetting procedures to ensure fairness and equity.

“Every student who has been awarded a scholarship or bursary shall be issued with a Personal Identification Account Number by the Council,” the bill states.

According to the bill, students seeking bursaries and scholarships shall apply to the council in a prescribed format.

“Any person who –in filling an application form, knowingly makes any false statement, shall be liable to a fine of not less than Sh10,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months,” the bill says.

The council shall then assess the needs of the applicant to determine the level of need.

In determining the level of need of the applicants, the council shall liaise with other relevant government agencies to assess the parental background, gender, school category, family size and composition.

It will also consider marginalisation and any form of disability, if any.

“The council shall at all times and in liaison with relevant government agencies, continuously update the needy status of the applicants and beneficiaries,” the bill says.

In determining the eligibility of an applicant to benefit from either a scholarship or bursary and the amount to be awarded, the council shall be guided by the set criteria.

For the award of scholarships, the criteria shall include academic excellence, special talents and skills, level of need, affirmative action, the category of school and the amount of fees payable.

The council shall also consider whether the applicant is benefiting from any other scholarship or bursaries and amount of such benefit.

“The council shall issue such guidelines as shall be necessary to promote fairness, equality and equity in the amount issued for scholarships and bursaries in basic education,” it says.

In the event of a learner receiving a scholarship or bursary in excess of need, the learning institution shall notify the granting institution of the excess amount and seek guidance on whether to refund or allocate it to another eligible learner.

The bill provides that any such person, institution or entity taking part in the administration of scholarships and bursaries in basic education shall make annual reports to the council.

“The annual report submitted to the council shall cover the particulars of the beneficiaries, the amount awarded to each beneficiary, the learning institutions and their beneficiaries,” it states.

It adds that the council shall on an annual basis prepare a comprehensive report covering the status of administration of scholarships and bursaries and submit to the Cabinet Secretary for Education within a period of three months upon close of the calendar year.