Nairobi County Assembly business could be paralysed after MCAs threatened to boycott plenary sessions demanding for the release of Sh400 million Nairobi County bursary Fund by the executive.
The MCAs have made it clear that they will not be part of any House proceedings starting Tuesday, saying it was ‘time to act’ on the bursary delays, an issue which has not been solved since December last year.
In the frenzied assembly sitting on Thursday last week, the ward representatives accused House leadership of laxity and not doing enough to push the executive to release the funds for needy students in the county calling for the sacking of Education executive Lucia Mulwa.
Under the bursary scheme, each of the 85 wards in Nairobi gets Sh3.5 million yearly totalling to Sh375 million with each of the over 4,000 students allocated Sh53,000 to go towards school fees. There is also the Governor’s Scholarship programme allocated more than Sh100 million and benefiting more than 1,000 students.
Kayole Central Ward MCA Jeremiah Karani raised the bursary issue as an urgent matter needing deliberation saying that the delay in issuance of the money has locked most students, especially from informal settlements who depend on the on the bursary as school fees, out of school.
LAZY STAFF
“Nothing has happened since last year December when the promise was made. And so, we will not come to this house on Tuesday if our people do not get the bursary by Monday. We will leave you (House leadership) with the Speaker to conduct house business with these chairs,” said Mr Karani.
Hamza MCA Mark Ndung’u asked Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to immediately sack Ms Mulwa over the bursary delays accusing her of failing her duties as the county’s education boss.
“Governor Sonko has always been vocal on his stance on lazy and corrupt staff. He should walk the talk by sacking his Education executive,” said Mr Ndung’u.
Waithaka MCA Antony Kiragu also threatened to collect signatures from a third of the members to push for the sacking of the Ms Mulwa.
On his part, Karen Ward MCA David Mberia asked his fellow MCAs to speak in one voice regardless of being elected or nominated member by boycotting the sessions while Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi accused the executive of being ‘rogue’ and taking them for a ride.
Umoja I MCA Mark Mugambi decried how they have been forced to stay away from their offices with parents constantly on their necks asking for the bursary money.
DUPED
Baba Dogo MCA Geoffrey Majiwa accused the executive of duping them and giving empty boxes with no cheques to take to their constituents.
“We were duped and handed empty boxes with no cheques. We need to be fair to Nairobi children who depend on this money for school fees,” said the former Mayor.
Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto called for the House leadership to push the executive to release the funds while Assembly Education committee chairperson Millicent Mugadi urged the MCAs to help her committee push for the release of the funds, saying that her committee has tried everything it could but no fruits were forthcoming.
“I have been running away from my own committee, from members and even my own ward. I cannot run away anymore as we need the money so we can have the needy children in school,” said the Ziwani MCA.
Speaker of the day, Deputy Speaker John Kamangu directed that the assembly’s Finance, Budget and Appropriations committee to look into the matter and report back to the house on Thursday this week.
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