The Council of Governors has expressed strong disapproval of the Controller of Budget (COB) Margaret Nyakang’o’s recent decision to limit the issuance of bursaries by county governments.
In a letter sent to Nyakang’o on Friday, January 17, Council of Governors’ Chairman Ahmed Abdullahi rejected allegations that counties had overstepped by assuming responsibilities typically held by the national government.
The governors argued that the Constitution does not clearly assign the responsibility for bursary distribution to either the national or county governments.
They further stated that county involvement in bursary issuance aligns with Article 43 of the Constitution, which guarantees every individual the right to education.
“Article 43 of the Constitution obligates the State, both National and County Governments, to provide appropriate social security and social protection to persons who are unable to support themselves and their dependents,” the governors emphasized.
“Thus, the claim that bursaries are solely the responsibility of the National Government is not grounded in the Constitution.”
The county leaders also criticized Nyakang’o’s stance, suggesting that her policy undermines the shared efforts of both levels of government to advance social protection and development.
They raised concerns about the impact on disadvantaged students who rely on government bursaries for their education.
The governors pointed out that county budgets, including allocations for bursaries, undergo public participation and are approved by local communities.
This, they argued, validates the counties’ authority to manage these funds.
Nyakang’o’s comments came a day after she announced that counties were only authorized to issue bursaries for pre-primary education and village polytechnics, in accordance with Part 1 of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution.
She argued that the national government holds exclusive responsibility for providing bursaries to primary, secondary, and other tertiary institutions.
According to Nyakang’o, for county governments to issue bursaries for these other educational levels, they would first need to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the national government, as outlined in Article 187 of the Constitution.
“Part 1 of the Fourth Schedule under Section 16 designates universities, tertiary educational institutions, primary schools, secondary schools, and special education institutions as functions of the national government,” Nyakang’o’s letter stated.
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