Tharaka Nithi County Disburses Sh34 M Bursary Fund To Needy Students
By Mwenda Njeru
Tharaka-Nithi County Government has a warded Sh34 million bursary fund to a total of 9,219 needy students in secondary schools and Vocational Training Colleges (VTC).
The issuance of the money for the fiscal year 2023/2024 was officially launched by Deputy Governor Nyaga Muisrael who explained that the disbursement was not done at the right time due to delayed release by the national treasury.
“On behalf of our Governor Muthomi Njuki I officially launch disbursement of a total of Sh34 million bursary funds for the financial year 2023/2024,” said Mr Muisrael at Igwanjau in Ganga ward, Maara Constituency.
Out of the 9,219 beneficiaries, 8,755 in secondary schools and 464 in VTC and each of the 15 wards has benefited with a total of Sh2.18 million.
In Tharaka Constituency, the disbursement exercise was led by Administration and Devolution executive, Muthini Karangi and Education Chief Officer Mwiti Mono and in Chuka/Igambang’ombe Constituency Speaker John Mbabu and Chief of Staff Murithi Mbiro.
Mr Karangi dismissed propaganda by some local leaders that the 2023/2024 bursary allocation had been stolen noting that the delay was occasioned by late disbursement by the national government.
He said the 2024/2025 bursary fund will also be released either in January or May next year to ensure that all needy learners remained in school.
“It is good for leaders to get facts right before exposing their ignorance and hatred to the people because today the bursary that some people claimed was stolen has been given to out,” said Mr Karangi.
He said to avoid the fights and inconveniences in issuance of bursary funds, the money from various government institutions should be consolidated as proposed by Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa.
He said some politicians use the funds to reward their political cronies disadvantaging the deserving needy student.
“Let the proposed law to put all government bursary funds into one basket be passed so that education can be free from primary to university,” he said.
Mr Mono said needy students in university and college did not benefit from the Sh34 million because the law passed by the county assembly in 2014 does not allow.
He however said they are in the process of amending the law and are hopeful that in the next disbursement they will benefit.
He noted that they have been giving bursaries to the college and university students but because they law does not allow it has aways been an audit query by the Auditor General.
“We have been advised by the Controller of Budget to avoid giving bursaries to college and university students until the law is amended,” said Mr Mono.
He said all needy learners from day secondary schools and from VTC who applied for the bursary were awarded.
Speaker Mbabu the county assembly will continue supporting the executive with the right legislations and passing budgets to ensure that it achieves it’s development agenda.
He faulted a few elected leaders ‘fighting’ the county government and called for unity in order to achieve development.
“Unity will help us achieve the development agenda for the benefit of our people. Instead of fighting each other we should be complementing,” said Mr Mbabu.
Mukothima Member of County Assembly Luke Marengo, Sylvesters Mutwiri of Gatunga and Gitonga Kithuka of Nkondi who also participated in the bursary fund cheques issuance lauded the ward and county bursary committees for overseeing a transparent exercise.
Mr Kithuka who is also the Deputy Speaker said though only ECDE and VTC are devolved functions, the county government will continue to support needy learners in secondary, colleges and universities.
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