More than 20,000 needy secondary school students will have their fees paid from Sh400 million released by the government under the presidential bursary programme.

The cash was released to schools at the weekend after successful applicants sent their requests through their respective constituency offices that administer the scheme.

The funds are part of the Sh8.95 billion released by the government to benefit vulnerable populations under the cash transfer programme.

The funds are meant to educate orphans and vulnerable children under a bursary scheme started in 2013.

Announcing the release of the funds, Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia said the aim of the bursary is to enhance secondary school access, class attendance and completion.

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“Disbursement of this fund is constituency based, with all constituencies getting an equal allocation of Sh1.3 million,” Prof Kobia said in a statement.

Through the programme, a total of 22,000 needy and orphaned students in public boarding schools will have their fees paid to a maximum of Sh30,000 per learner in the 2021/22 financial year.

The government is currently paying Sh22,444 per student under the free-day secondary school education programme.

Parents in boarding schools are required to pay the balance as per the Education ministry’s fees guidelines to schools.

In national schools, parents are required to pay Sh53,554 per year while those with children in Category B boarding and extra county schools cough up Sh40,535.

Due to economic hardships caused by Covid-19 pandemic, the Education ministry reduced the fees to Sh45,000 for national schools while extra county and Category B boarding schools will pay Sh35,000.

Further, the government, through the Ministry of Education- Elimu Scholarship Programme is sponsoring 9,000 Form One students every year.

The programmes targets bright but needy students in 110 sub-counties and 15 urban centres with informal settlements.

Last year, the allocation was affirmatively increased in urban centres with slums from 25 percent to 33.3 percent of the 9,000 slots to cushion vulnerable households and give hope to the less fortunate.

More students are also receiving support through the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank scholarship programmes among others.

The National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) is also offering bursaries to needy students across the country

Prof Kobia has also announced that of the Sh8.9 billion released, Sh8.5 billion will support the most vulnerable members of the society under the Inua Jamii programme.

The money is meant to cushion orphans and vulnerable children, older persons and persons with severe disabilities from poverty, hunger and improve their lives.

Some Sh13.045 million has been disbursed for nutrition support through cash and health education programme.

“The niche programme targets households with children under two years of age and pregnant and lactating mothers who are already enrolled in the Inua Jamii programme,” said Prof Kobia.

Under this programme, a total of 339,15 households will benefit from the money depending on the number of children enrolled in the programme.

The households are in Kitui, Kilifi, Marsabit, Turkana and West Pokot counties.

Prof Kobia said the funds have been credited to 1,067,805 Inua Jamii beneficiaries with payments expected to start last week.

Each of the beneficiaries will receive Sh8, 000 being payment of July, August, September and October 2021.

“Beneficiaries or caregivers can access all or part of this payment at any time over a six months’ period. This will avoid crowding at the payment points,” said Prof Kobia.

Thousands of poor, needy and orphan students who entirely depend on CDF bursary for fees, risk remaining at home as schools reopen next month, MPs have warned.

The legislators say they have not received the National Government – Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) fund, six months into the financial year, a situation that now spells doom for the needy students.

“In my constituency, I have not received a coin. Not even the money that should be going to pay CDF staff and committee members,” Homa Bay Town MP, Peter  Kaluma said.

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The legislator asserted that hundreds of students whose education is supported by the CDF bursary are staring at a bleak future if the funds are not released on time.

The schools are set to resume on January 4 after nearly one-year closure because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have, like in my constituency, orphans whose entire education depends on CDF bursary. The greatest challenge I have now is that they are asking me how they are going to school,” Kaluma said, lifting the lid on the severity of the non-disbursement.

Makadara MP, Geroge Aladwa raised similar concerns, saying that needy students and their parents are a worried lot and have been camping in his office.

“There is no money. We issued bursaries forms. They have been filled and returned. Now they are waiting for the checks because schools are reopening in two weeks but there is no money in the accounts,” Aladwa said.

Gem’s Elisha Odhiambo also said this constituency has not received the cash but was optimistic that it would be released before schools reopen.

“I have about 10,000 students… if the money cannot come on time, then I will have to use some Sh5 million that I had saved to pay for them,” he said.

According to National Assembly’s NG-CDF committee chairman Wafula Wamunyinyi, the situation is dire and has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the economy.

“The economy is very tough because of Covid-19. Revenue collection is at its lowest according to Treasury CS,” Wamunyinyi said.

The Kanduyi MP disclosed that the National Treasury has released Sh18 billion out of the Sh41 billion budget for this financial year.

However, Sh14 billion out of the cash disbursed was channeled to cover the areas for the last fiscal year.

“On December 16, they released Sh2 billion and on December 21, they released another Sh4 billion. Initially, they had released Sh14 billion but it went to cover the areas for the last financial year, meaning, only Sh4 billion has been received for this financial year,” Wamunyinyi revealed.

The Kanduyi legislator asserted that Treasury CS Ukuru Yatani has committed to releasing another Sh4 billion early next month.

About 30 to 35 per cent of the CDF cash go towards bursaries with orphans and children from extremely poor families being the beneficiaries.

“We want not even money for development outside education but we urgently need the money that can pay our students’ bursaries. That is what will secure them continuity, otherwise, it is going to be tough,” Kaluma said.