The committee.
By Janet Nyamwamu
The National Assembly’s Decentralized Funds Accounts Committee has initiated a new investigation into the administration of bursary funds in Kajiado North Constituency.
The inquiry follows the Auditor-General’s examination of the 2016/2017 NG-CDF accounts, which identified numerous bursary checks that remained uncashed and became invalid after six months without being deposited.
This indicates that the funds effectively expired and may never have been used for their intended purpose of assisting underprivileged students.
Parliament members voiced alarm over the revelations, characterizing them as troubling and reflecting significant administrative shortcomings that likely deprived disadvantaged children of educational access despite governmental allocations.
West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka, during the committee proceedings, stressed that these funds exist to assist children facing financial hardship and dismissed the official explanation that beneficiaries simply neglected to claim or present the checks, asserting that this explanation defied logic given the typical desperation of families seeking such support.
The audit specifically pointed out unexplained bank balances and the lack of proper cash book documentation to verify whether the value of the expired checks had been restored to the constituency accounts as required.
Constituency fund representatives maintained that the checks had been distributed toward the conclusion of the financial year and became stale because beneficiaries did not come forward to collect or deposit them at educational institutions.
However, legislators challenged this narrative, questioning how parents sufficiently impoverished to require bursary assistance would suddenly disregard the funds entirely.
Mogaka directly inquired how such indifference could be plausible among families unable to cover school expenses.
Evidence submitted to the committee revealed that some of the intended beneficiaries subsequently discontinued their schooling, prompting criticism from lawmakers who argued that children do not voluntarily leave education but are instead dismissed for non-payment of fees.
They emphasized that government bursary funds are meant as emergency support, and any delay or failure in distribution directly contradicts the program’s fundamental goal of maintaining student enrollment.
During the contentious discussions, suspicions emerged regarding deliberate withholding or political manipulation, with Mogaka demanding that fund officials confirm that constituency offices had not intentionally retained the checks rather than distributing them to entitled recipients.
The substantial sum involvedexceeding Sh2 millionfurther heightened skepticism among committee members, who contended that such an amount could not reasonably be attributed to ordinary oversights or minor administrative deficiencies.
Chaired by Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi, the committee has now mandated a comprehensive follow-up report from the officials, requiring them to identify the original list of bursary beneficiaries, clarify whether replacement checks were issued after the originals expired, and determine who ultimately received the funds once the stale checks were cancelled.
Lawmakers, including Mogaka who formally proposed the matter be re-examined, insisted that complete accountability must be established, particularly when vulnerable students’ educational funding is at stake, declaring that the issue could not remain unresolved.
Legislators cautioned that persistent inefficiencies and distribution delays risk undermining government efforts aimed at ensuring children continue their education.
The Decentralized Funds Accounts Committee is scheduled to review the constituency’s accounts again after the requested supplementary documentation and previous committee directives are supplied.