Chief Justice Martha Koome on Thursday challenged the government, headed by President William Ruto, to consider consolidating all education funding and providing free for all tertiary education.
The CJ, who was speaking at the launch of the Strategic Guiding Framework for Greening Kenya’s Justice System and Dissemination of Research Findings, noted that all the funds allocated to Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), Members of Parliament (MPs), women reps and governors through their respective kitties can be consolidated into one fund to finance a free education system.
Dissemination of the funds, which is done through the constituency development fund (CDF) by MPs and MCAs, is a duplication of roles which should be rolled into one kitty.
“You find that there is bursary fund allocated from the tax payers’ money for the governor, women rep, the MPs and MCAs to help finance needy learners,” she pointed out.
“Now, all those bursaries on how they are disbursed, why don't you put them in one fund and make education free for all?”
Koome branded the new university funding model as promoting inequality among students, something that undermines the progress of our society.
She further criticised the model citing its viability in placing students in bands they deserve to be in.
“The child who has qualified to go to the university can be there crying because he has been put to band 5 when he ought to be in band 1 and therefore cannot afford to go to the university,” she lamented.
According to her, the new model only reinforces how unjust the society is.
The CJ, as a result, revealed that she stopped watching news because of depressing items that keep flashing which reminds her of inequality and how unjust we are in a society.
“When you follow, you find a child of a well to do family has been put in band one while not needy,” she explained.
The CJ noted that the new funding model is confusing and needs to be reviewed to help the most vulnerable in society.
