Mwirigi urges Treasury to increase NG-CDF kitty to boost bursaries

 Igembe South Constituency students

Some of the 12,000 students from Igembe South Constituency who thronged Igembe Boys High School on January 2, 2021 to fill bursary forms. Igembe South MP John Paul Mwirigi urged the National Treasury to increase the NG-CDF so as to boost bursary allocations.

Photo credit: Charles Wanyoro | Nation Media Group

Igembe South MP John Paul Mwirigi has appealed to the National Treasury to increase NG-CDF allocation to Sh200 million per constituency so as to boost the bursary kitty due to increased demand.

He said the current allocation is not enough and needy students end up getting a small fraction of the amounts they require.

Speaking at Igembe Boys High School where over 12,000 needy students turned up to pick bursary forms, Mr Mwirigi said he had moved an amendment in Parliament seeking an increase of the NG-CDF allocation.

He said he was optimistic that fellow legislators will support his bid so that the bursary kitty gets a boost.

The MP said the number of students from the constituency seeking bursaries had increased since most families relied on miraa whose market had significantly shrunk following the ban in Somalia.

He said if the NG-CDF is increased to Sh200 million, the bursary kitty would get an allocation of about Sh100 million, which could serve a bigger number of needy students.

Covid-19 pandemic

Mr Mwirigi added that the Covid-19 pandemic had piled misery on many families, driving them to poverty, thus the need for government intervention.

“Today, we have over 12,000 students seeking some amount. Everyone who filled the forms will get something and we will write cheques for the successful applicants when we get the money. We acted with urgency since it is easier to get the students when they are at home than in school,” he said.

The MP, at the same time, announced plans to develop a data base on what the youth in the area have studied so as to help them get jobs.

He said he would set up a website with details of every young professional so as to push for jobs.

Mr Mwirigi complained that Igembe South had lagged behind in employment by government, yet many locals have good certificates.

Mr Mwirigi said he was happy he had helped push for the opening of Igembe University campus, KMTC Maua campus and various vocational training centres, but called for more.