Release bursaries or students go home, school heads tell Mandera

Tired of waiting for disbursements under the Elimu Kwa Wote bursary programme in Mandera, school heads have threatened to send students with arrears home on Monday.

The local chapter of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association on Wednesday said the plan run smoothly for a year before delays arose.

Speaking to the press in Mandera town, Kessha county treasurer Mahat Ibrahim said the schools cannot operate without fees.

“Before we have any further engagement with the county of Mandera, they should first release the second and third term fees,” he said.

“And every disbursement must be accompanied by a list of beneficiaries and the amount allocated to each learner.”

The Neboi Secondary School principal was flanked by all school heads from the county.

The bursary was conceived after years of drought claimed hundreds of livestock, the livelihood of more than 90 per cent of residents.

Most could thus not afford to pay school fees for their children.

Immediately he come into office, Governor Mohamed Aden Khalif held a meeting with school principals of all the government schools.

They agreed a formula on how the county would be paying the students' fees going forward.

On January 15, 2023, the governor launched the programme, where he promised to cover 60 per cent of the school fees for Mandera residents.

But now the school heads say it has been derailed by delays as well as partial fulfillment of Ministry-approved fees.

Ibrahim said the county is spreading misconceptions of the programme, putting them at loggerheads with parents and students.

He called for a legally binding agreement between the Education department and Kessha on the release of fees.

The governor has invited them to a meeting on Saturday, Ibrahim said, adding that they had unanimously agreed to only attend it if and when their demands are met.

“We are also sending a warning shot to politicians that they should desist from politicising the secondary education programme forthwith," he said. 

"As for the programme, the county should fund 100 per cent of the fees or else parents should be left to foot the remaining 40 per cent."

In a recent interview, the governor heaped praise on the programme, saying it was a success.

“Of course there are challenges here and there, especially when you are starting something new, but by and large we are doing well," he said.

"We are now in our second year and we keep on trying to improve and fix the challenges as we go along, but most importantly, making sure that whatever we do is within the law.”