The chairperson of the budget committee in the National Assembly Ndindi Nyoro has assured Kenyans that the government is working towards releasing NGCD funds meant for bursaries.
Nyoro who spoke while addressing a group of MPs in his constituency, said a high number of parents depend on bursaries issued through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) kitty to educate their children.
With schools scheduled to reopen next week, he said the government is prioritising the kitty and that it is consolidating revenue being collected to ensure funds allocated for bursaries are disbursed.
This comes at a time when many parents are apprehensive as they struggle to acquire fees for their children amid the high cost of living that has left many struggling to support their families.
Earlier this week, the government released Sh31 billion for the education sector with Sh4.74 billion going towards free primary education while Sh7.60 billion was for capitation for junior secondary schools for term one.
“You saw the government release funds for the education sector this week as schools prepare to open next week. We plan to release NGCD funds for bursaries to capacitate parents as they take their children back to school”.
In November 2023, MPs passed a new law that increased educational bursary funds from 35 percent to 40 percent of the NGCDF.
The NGCD fund amendment act also raised the allocation for environmental activities from two per cent to five per cent to mitigate climate change and introduced a three percent allocation for constituencies’ digital hubs.