Lobby petitions assembly to stop student bursaries

Nakuru County assembly. [Harun Wathari, Standard]

A human rights group has petitioned the Nakuru County Assembly to stop the executive from issuing bursaries.

Grassroots Civilian Oversight Initiative accused the executive of unlawfully issuing bursaries.

The petition cites the Constitution, which provides that the issuance of bursaries falls under the national government.

The petition states that county governments are only allowed to issue bursaries to technical institutions and ECDs.

"It has come to our attention that the county executive has been overstepping its role in education by offering bursaries to facilitate functions of the national government," reads the petition.

The group wants the assembly to bar the county from allocating bursaries.

The group has threatened to sue the executive, ministry and the county assembly if its concerns are not addressed.

"Further deliberate violation of the progressive Constitution on the matter in question will inform us to seek redress from the court," the petition states.

This is the second petition, following an earlier one to the Director of Education in Nakuru and the bursary committee dated September 19.

Joseph Mbugua, who is in charge of bursaries, admitted that the county government was restricted to ECDs and TVETs but MCAs passed a motion, allowing the executive to issue bursaries.