President William Ruto disclosed the decision to decentralize bursary allocation and distribution, confirming the resolution of problems that hindered fund disbursement to county governments.
At the State House during the UDA National Governing Council meeting on Monday, January 26, the President stated that the national government had engaged with the Controller of Budget, county governments, and other stakeholders to address concerns regarding bursary management.
He mentioned that while bursaries remain under the national government’s jurisdiction, a formal agreement with county administrations was essential to ensure effective implementation at the community level.
The head of state announced that the national government has completed agreements with all county administrations, a development he said enables the Controller of Budget to release funds to counties for the proper execution of the bursary program.
“We have settled this issue. The bursary process will now proceed as the agreement between the national government and county governments has been finalized,” Ruto stated.
“We have resolved that the bursary process will now be implemented since the agreement between the national and county governments has been completed,” he added.
Ruto emphasized that the initiative was designed to prevent any child from being excluded from education due to school fees, reaffirming the government’s dedication to maintaining student enrollment.
President Ruto’s announcement followed a previous instruction to establish a framework to resolve conflicts that had stopped county governments from distributing bursaries for secondary schools and higher education institutions.
The allocation for tertiary institutions was the responsibility of the national government, not the counties. This arrangement has caused disputes with county administrations, which have persistently sought the authority to distribute funds to students.
Nevertheless, President Ruto authorized counties to provide bursaries by approving the County Allocation of Revenue Act of 2025, which raised the equitable share for counties to KSh 415 billion. These funds were meant to enable counties to develop and execute local initiatives that encompassed bursary programs.
County administrations are now awaiting approval from the Controller of Budget to start distributing funds to students.
Following the establishment of these agreements, funds will be released to assist students nationwide.