KISUMU, Kenya Sep 18 – Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu has backed proposed legislation seeking to consolidate education funding to make university and college education more accessible to Kenyan students.

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Buyu said the current bursary system was inadequate to meet the growing financial needs of students, particularly as more families struggle to meet the rising cost of education.

She spoke during the disbursement of bursary cheques worth Sh37 million to 3,740 students from Kisumu West Constituency pursuing studies in universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions.

The MP said the growing number of bursary applicants reflected the financial pressure facing families.

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“What we’ve seen now is an increase year in, year out of the number of people who are coming out to look for bursaries, which only shows that the economic times are getting more and more difficult,” Buyu said.

Buyu said proposed reforms to consolidate education funds could offer a more sustainable solution by ensuring students are able to pursue tertiary education without being forced to drop out because of fees.

She noted that NG-CDF bursary allocations were limited, with university students receiving Sh12,000, college students Sh8,000 and learners in smaller institutions receiving Sh6,000.

“I am in support of the bills that are going through public participation today, that are actually calling out that all these monies should be put together, so that each and every student who needs to go to college can go free of charge,” she said.

The MP questioned the sustainability of one-off bursary payments, particularly for students whose families cannot raise additional fees when subsequent semesters begin.

She argued that providing free tertiary education would help reduce cases of students discontinuing their studies because of financial constraints.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya