Nairobi: Murang'a County, through the Murang'a Bursaries and Scholarship Fund, has resumed the issuance of bursaries following the resolution of disputes over county bursary allocations. This comes as a relief to thousands of students after months of a standoff between county governments and the Controller of Budget (COB).
According to Kenya News Agency, Governor Irungu Kang'ata recently signed an Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement with the Ministry of Education, allowing the county to continue managing the bursary function. Speaking at Ihura Grounds on Sunday, Kang'ata reiterated that education remains a top priority for his administration, noting that the county currently supports more than 50,000 needy students. "All other things are important, but if we don't educate our children, we cannot progress," he said.
The governor, who had earlier sued the COB, said the county has since withdrawn the contempt of court case. He highlighted that the Inua Masomo programme is designed to promote healthy competition among students by covering school fees for top performers. "If you work hard as a student, your fees for the year will be paid by the county," he said, adding that the selection process is transparent and minimizes opportunities for corruption.
Kang'ata further explained that providing bursaries to students in day secondary schools helps cushion institutions from financial challenges such as delayed government capitation. "By giving bursaries to day school students, we ensure schools have funds for essential expenses, allowing learning to continue uninterrupted," he noted.
According to the governor, the Inua Masomo programme also boosts the local economy by retaining education funds within the county. Currently, the initiative benefits over 7,000 students each term, with plans to expand the number of beneficiaries regularly. Its goal is to make education accessible to all, especially vulnerable learners while rewarding academic excellence. The county also runs a bursary initiative under the Nyota Zetu programme, introduced by the previous administration, which supports boarding school students but is now being phased out.
Additionally, the county has launched a Freshers Programme targeting first-year university students who scored a C+ and above and studied in day secondary schools within Murang'a.