Nyandarua County Assembly has demanded a statement into the affairs of the Governor’s Bursary Fund suspecting that the kitty was exhausted by former Governor Francis Kimemia while on the campaign trail.
While rising to seek a statement from the House’s Committee on Education, Kiriita Ward MCA Milkah Wanjiru regretted that a large percentage of this year’s allocation was utilized in a span of three weeks just before elections.
Wanjiru regretted that the fund to a tune of Sh500 million in the governor’s coffers, was disbursed haphazardly with the list of beneficiaries and the amounts disbursed not available for scrutiny.
“We are aware that the county has allocated funds for the County Bursary Fund which the department started disbursing a few weeks to the elections. The County Executive has also created and allocated about Sh500 million to the Governor’s Scholarship Fund for needy students.
“Of concern, is a general lack of information as the department has not released any report on the two funds. We need to know; how much was allocated? What each beneficiary got as well as the balances remaining,” noted Wanjiru.
The MCA said that there lacked a framework governing the Governor’s kitty for the needy and demanded openness in the membership composition of ward committees involved in the disbursement.
“In my ward for instance, the team issued the bursaries on August 8, as a bait to seek reelection,” she remarked noting that a number of students languished in homes for lack of school fees.
Rising to comment on the same matter, North Kinangop MCA Wambugu King’ori noted that Sh75 million was to be disbursed to the 25 wards with each receiving Sh3 million but some wards were not allocated.
“Why is it that we can afford fuel to cruise around the county yet no requisitions were made for bursaries for our children at home? We passed the County Bursary Bill here but then assent was not given by the former Governor, yet nothing was communicated to this House. Does it therefore become law on expiry of seven days, yet it was not gazetted?” wondered King’ori adding that the law was amended to give all students an equal footing.
The Committee chair Kamau Gathungu (Leshau Pondo) noted that a statement would be issued in 14 days.
