By Betty Luke
Learners from needy families in Isiolo will not access county bursaries in the coming year since no funds were set aside in the current Sh5.5 billion 2021/2022 budget.
In the budget, Sh390, 115, 194 was set aside for the department of Education, Youth, Sports, Gender, Culture and Social Services out of which Sh23, 115, 194 was for recurrent expenditure.
Under Education and Vocational Training, Sh20 million was allocated for construction and equipping of ECDE centers across the county and sanitation of the centers in Kinna, Wabera and Sericho wards while Sh3 million went to capitation grant support for vocational students across the county.
Some Sh90 million out of Sh100 million for Youths and Sports Department was allocated for the ongoing construction of Isiolo Stadium while the remaining Sh10 million set aside for countywide youth empowerment program.
Of the remaining Sh14 million under Culture, Gender and Social Services, Sh8 million and Sh4 million were allocated for women empowerment and support for persons living with disabilities respectively, while Almasi Children Home got Sh2 million.
This means learners who will not access the MPs bursaries that have been shrouded in controversies in the recent past, will be forced to drop out of school cutting short their dreams.
This comes despite Isiolo County Secretary Dr Ahmed Galgalo on May 29, 2021 assuring that the county government would support all needy learners who are on the verge of dropping out of schools for lack of fees.
Dr Galgalo then, during the reopening of Brainstar Schools in Chechelesi, said the county government was committed to ensuring all needy learners continue with their studies uninterrupted.
“If you hear any student out of school for lack of school fees please report to my office and we will sort out the issue,” said Dr Galgalo.
Education stakeholders have in the recent past been calling for a thorough assessment of applicants by county and CDF bursary committees before allocation so that priority is on the neediest cases.
There have been concerns over lack of clear structures to ensure transparency and fairness in awarding of the bursaries with residents lamenting that only a few students were benefiting and that needy ones were getting too little compared to those from average and stable families.
The majority of the learners who drop out of school for lack of fees indulge in drug and substance abuse.
Deputy Governor Dr Abdi Issa recently called for merging of the bursaries so that they are disbursed from one basket to rid cases of one student benefiting from the county’s and MPs bursaries while others who are needy are left out.
The move, Dr Issa said, would ensure many learners benefit from the funding and are able to achieve their dreams.
