The Ministry of Education through the Basic Scholarships and Bursaries Bill 2024, has proposed new procedures to ease the process of applying for bursaries and scholarships.
According to the bill, students will be required to submit applications to the Basic Education Scholarships and Bursaries Council, a body established by the bill. The council will review the applications within a specified timeframe.
Under the proposed bill, students, parents, or guardians will no longer need to seek funds from members of parliament, as has been the practice in the past.
Notably, in the past, parents and guardians have sustained injuries and others have lost their lives scrambling to get a form from their respective MPs.
All students are asked to make an application to the council through a form issued. When the council decides to award an applicant, they will be required to comply with the conditions set within one month or risk losing the bursary.
When an application is made, the council shall determine the eligibility of an applicant. Some of the areas to check when awarding scholarships include academic excellence, special talents and skills, level of need, affirmative action, the category of school, the amount of fees payable and if the applicant is benefitting from another program.
On the other hand, factors to consider when awarding the bursary include the level of need, affirmative action, category of school, the amount payable and whether the applicant is benefiting from another bursary program.
"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," read part of the bill.
Any student awarded a bursary or scholarship shall be issued with a Personal Identification Account Number (PIAN) by the council.
Other functions of the council include preparing a report on the issuance of bursaries and passports, mobilising resources to ensure adequate funding, monitoring the impact of the bursaries and scholarships, and the Cabinet Secretary on effective regulations in the issuance.
The council shall also establish and update a central and real-time database on the issuance of the funds. The database shall contain the name, details, amount, and needy status of the applicants.
Additionally, the bill has proposed the creation of the Basic Education Scholarship and Bursaries Fund which will provide money to be used for the bursaries and scholarships.
The funds shall include money appropriated by Parliament, money from investments, donations, grants and gifts, among others.
Controversial Cases of MPs Issuing Bursaries
On February 2, Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama was criticised for lecturing parents who were lined up at his office in search of bursary forms.
The MP accused the parents of being idle and queuing for hours to get the forms despite his announcement that the program would run for a month.
In April last year, one parent lost his life in Ruiru, Kiambu County after being trampled on by other parents who were scrambling for the forms.
Meanwhile in Vihiga last year, parents were complaining that the bursary cheques had allegedly bounced. Some complained that they did not receive the money as the county government decried lacking a chequebook.
