University Funding Uproar: Agnes Kagure Backs Calls To Consolidate Bursaries, Scholarships

• Nairobi businesswoman Agnes Kagure called for de-politicisation of bursary programmes in order to help the needy easily access affordable education
• According to Kagure, duplicated bursary funds from taxpayers' funds are hard to be audited for transparency
• A section of Kenyans have been calling for the consolidation of bursary programmes into one education fund

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Businesswoman Agnes Kagure has joined the controversial university funding model debate.

Why Agnes Kagure is backing consolidation of bursaries

In a statement on Monday, August 26, Kagure said access to education is the only avenue to provide equity for all Kenyans.

"Education is the greatest equaliser of all, and from the work we do at Agnes Kagure Foundation, I've seen first-hand, the impact bursaries have on assisting learners access education," Kagure said.

Kagure agreed with the majority of Kenyans who felt that many bursary funds provided by various entities in the country were making access by deserving youths harder.

Kagure calls for de-politicisation of bursary programmes

The businesswoman joined other Kenyans calling for consolidating all bursaries and scholarships into one education fund.

"I agree with our youth and students that we have many duplicitous bursary funds from taxpayers' funds that are hard to access for the majority and even harder to audit," the businesswoman said.

Kagure said a central body should be established to manage all bursaries so that politicians are not free to control such an important aspect of promoting access to education.

"It's time to amalgamate all the different bursaries handed to politicians to either make education fully free or establish a central body that will be devolved down to the ward and village levels to ensure no one is locked out from getting the help they need. Education is life's most important bridge that leads to possibilities. Let's de-politicise and strengthen it," Kagure added.

What Martha Koome said about the new university funding model

In related news, Chief Justice Martha Koome joined Kenyans opposed to the new university funding model.

During the launch of the Strategic Guiding Framework for Greening Kenya’s Justice System and Dissemination of Research Findings on Thursday, August 22, Koome termed the new model unfair to the poor.

Koome questioned how learners from financially challenged families were placed in Band 5, which is meant for the rich.

The chief justice noted that in some instances, children from rich families are placed in Band 1, which meant for families earning below KSh 5,995.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

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