ICPC Demands Swift Enactment of Bursaries and Scholarships Bill

The International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) has called for speedy enactment of the Basic Education Bursaries and Scholarships Bill, 2024. ICPC argued that delays in passing the proposed law continue to disadvantage needy learners and entrench political interference in education financing. In a statement, ICPC executive director Ndung’u Wainaina criticised the current bursary system, arguing that it has been turned into a political instrument rather than a social protection tool. “They have become political tools for humiliation, indignation and demeaning of patents and students,” Wainaina said. The proposed Bill seeks to overhaul the management of bursaries and scholarships by creating a unified and transparent framework for education funding. At the centre of the reform is the establishment of a Basic Education Scholarships and Bursaries Council and a consolidated national fund that would manage all public bursaries and scholarships. Under the proposed law, funds currently disbursed by the Ministry of Education, the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), county governments and other public and private sources would be merged into a single pool. Proponents argue that consolidation will reduce duplication, curb corruption and ensure that assistance reaches the most deserving learners. “This Bill seeks to end fragmented funding, enhance accountability, and support universal access to education for all deserving learners,” ICPC said. A key shift proposed in the Bill is the removal of politicians from the bursary application and awarding process. Instead of seeking assistance through MPs or other elected leaders, students or their guardians would apply directly to the new Council. Students apply directly to the new Council, not their local MPs. Award decisions would be based on clear criteria, including demonstrated financial need, affirmative action considerations, school type, school fees and any existing support the learner may already be receiving. Successful applicants would be issued with a Personal Identification Account Number (PIAN), allowing authorities to track awards and prevent double funding. The Bill also outlines plans to merge the numerous bursary and scholarship programmes currently run by different government agencies into a single, coordinated system. Supporters say this will improve oversight, close loopholes and ensure equitable access to education funding across the country. According to ICPC, the reforms are critical to achieving the constitutional goal of free and universal basic education. By pooling resources and strengthening management, the Bill aims to maximise the impact of limited public funds while ensuring no deserving child is locked out of school due to poverty. The Bill seeks to generate policy to amalgamate and consolidate all the education funding opportunities, including bursaries and scholarships from public funds by the Ministry of Education, the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF), County governments and financial institutions to provide free universal education for all children. Concerns over the current uncoordinated system have also been raised in Parliament. Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi has previously complained about the fragmented approach to the issuance of bursaries and scholarships by various public bodies. Mwinyi, a teacher by profession, said the lack of coordination has in some cases resulted in duplication of bursary and scholarship awards. He noted that despite coming from different offices, all the funds ultimately draw from the same shrinking public purse. According to the MP, ward representatives, woman representatives, MPs, governors and the Ministry of Education are all issuing bursaries to students, often without a centralised database or oversight mechanism.