Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi address traders during his tour of Luanda market following demolitions by KeNHA for dualling of Kisumu-Busia highway on Saturday market /HILTON OTENYO Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has urged the county government to reinstate the bursary scheme to support bright and needy learners.
Osotsi said thousands of needy learners are suffering because of scrapping the bursary scheme by Governor Wilber Ottichilo’s administration, citing difficulties in sustainability of the programme for lack of funds.
Speaking at Ikumba Primary School during the Vuuka FM fans meeting on Monday, the senator said the situation has left vulnerable children unable to access education and should be reconsidered.
He urged MCAs, who are on retreat with the governor in Mombasa, to use the occasion to push for the reintroduction of the bursary scheme.
The bursary kitty was abolished by Ottichilo’s administration in November 2023, arguing the money disbursed as bursaries to be directed towards Early Childhood Development Education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training programmes.
“The bursary was scrapped because of lack of adequate funding but now that we have an additional Sh1 billion allocation by the national treasury, part of it should be redirected towards bursaries,” he said.
Osotsi suggested that Sh100 million be set aside to revive the kitty.
He urged MCAs to initiate a supplementary budget to accommodate bursary funding since the additional allocation came after they had approved the county budget for the current financial year.
Osotsi further urged the county government to consider entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with the national government, as several other counties have done so to safeguard the sustainability of bursary support for needy learners.
“We must not let financial constraints deny children from poor backgrounds a chance at a better future through access to education,” he said .
The senator maintained he had played his part by ensuring increased allocation from the national government and now the responsibility lies with the county leadership and MCAs to restore the bursary kitty.
