Kitui County Assembly Minority Leader, Hon. Alex Nganga, has sharply criticized Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, accusing him of misleading the public and playing politics with the future of Kenyan children. Nganga faulted the CS for blaming the National Assembly over capitation shortfalls, while failing to fight for funding where it matters most in the Cabinet, chaired by the President.
“Let’s be honest allocation of resources is a Cabinet function. That’s where CS Ogamba should have pushed for more education funding. Going to Parliament to cry foul is just public relations. Anatubeba ufala,” Nganga said. He accused the government of shifting goalposts and warned that, ultimately, parents will be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to educate their children.
The County lawmaker further dismissed recent suggestions that bursaries be scrapped or merged with capitation funding, calling the idea fundamentally flawed. “Capitation is a general government subsidy for all learners, while bursaries are targeted support for families who truly need extra help. Tuambiane ukweli not all of us need bursaries,” he noted.
The third serving MCA warned against the misuse of bursary funds as political tools, often disbursed without proper vetting. He called for clear policy guidelines involving school administrations and Boards of Management to ensure that only deserving students benefit. “We must stop the culture where bursaries are given out as campaign tokens. Let’s protect these funds for the needy and not the connected.”
Hon Nganga’s remarks come at a time of growing public discontent over education costs and government inefficiencies. He called on fellow leaders and the public to hold the Ministry of Education accountable, emphasizing that education is a right not a privilege and should never be compromised by incompetence or misplaced priorities.
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