No bursary: Shock for parents as Ndakwa says Malava kitty empty

Bursary allocation for learners from Malava Constituency will not be disbursed in the near future due to a lack of funds.

Parents and teachers have been asked to sit tight and wait as the newly elected MP, David Ndakwa, consults and seeks clarity from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Board on how they can allocate more funds to cater for the constituency bursary.

Out of the Ksh50 million set aside for bursaries from secondary, tertiary and university levels, it is only Ksh3.7 million worth of cash that is currently available.

Giving an address on the state of affairs at the Malava CDF office, MP David Ndakwa expressed dismay at how the CDF office, led by the outgoing fund manager, redirected the money meant for bursaries to complete other projects initiated by the late MP Malulu Injendi, with many of the incomplete and ongoing projects having been fully paid for by the CDF office.

“I want to take this opportunity to ask the people of Malava to bear with us over the delayed bursary allocation, as I have just come to learn that the kitty was indeed empty, with funds meant to cater for the learning of our children having been redirected to other projects which were initially started by the late MP. This has brought confusion in the CDF office, but already I have reached out to the NG-CDF Board explaining the true scenario on the ground and why they should consider allocating fresh funds for bursaries.”

He said it was wrong for the office to opt to fully pay for projects being constructed within schools, which the learners were to utilise, and fail to pay bursaries to allow them access to the same facilities in their schools.

“Since the death of the MP, which took place one and a half years ago, the Malava office, in conjunction with the board, has been running projects, and it is sad that the fund manager decided to fully pay even incomplete, uncommissioned and poor workmanship projects and brushed aside bursaries, and this has led to this delay,” he noted.

He said the remaining funds, which have delayed being disbursed, will be used to pay the bursary applicants and assured residents that in his 2026/27 financial year allocation he will set aside 40 per cent to cater for bursaries.

“The bursary funds from the Treasury come in bits and sometimes delay, and this will also affect our bursary allocation, but I’m requesting the Treasury, through the NG-CDF Board, to give Malava the priority it deserves.”

“Since I assumed office, I have not been able to get an accurate financial report on the status of the constituency from the outgoing fund manager, and it is only the incoming one who has shared the same with me, and that is when I learnt of the financial discrepancies,” he observed.

He said education remained his key commitment to the people of Malava and promised that no child will drop out of school due to lack of school fees as long as he is the MP, as he will continue to push for accountability, transparency and support for education for all.

The constituency had a total of 19,957 secondary school applicants, with 8,200 Form Three and Four students applying from the constituency, 4,400 from sub-county schools, while county schools had 10,000 applicants. Another 1,500 Form Three and Four students from outside the constituency learning in national, extra-county, county and sub-county schools applied, including persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) and special needs (213), partial orphans (667) and non-locals (612).

The last 2024/25 financial year disbursement saw sub-county learners getting Ksh2,000 each, county and extra-county learners Ksh2,500, while national schools, colleges, PLWDs and total orphans each received Ksh5,000.

The constituency is allocated approximately Ksh189 million each financial year.