County governments are renewing their demand for full control of education functions, arguing that devolved units are best placed to identify and support needy students within their regions.
The push comes amid an ongoing standoff between governors and Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang’o, who insists that counties lack the legal authority to fund bursaries for secondary and university students.
The dispute resurfaced after a high-level meeting between the Council of Governors (CoG) and Dr. Nyakang’o, which ended in deadlock. Nyakang’o reaffirmed her earlier February circular that restricts counties from financing learners beyond the TVET and ECDE levels unless a valid intergovernmental agreement is in place.
“The requirements are still the same as per my circular of January 2025. Counties must submit a valid intergovernmental agreement,” Nyakang’o said, as quoted by The Star.
“The funds for secondary and university bursaries should come from the national government. Bursaries for TVET and ECDE should come from the county budget.”
Despite the directive, governors maintain that devolved administrations have been instrumental in keeping thousands of learners in school and should therefore be granted greater autonomy over bursary programs.
Speaking before the Senate Education Committee on Thursday, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the recent meeting with the Controller of Budget had provided clarity on compliance steps, paving the way for counties to resume bursary distribution within existing regulations.
“Our bursaries and scholarships are now going to resume because we are following the CoB’s guidelines,” Sakaja stated.
However, several senators cautioned that counties should not overstep their constitutional mandate. Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma reminded governors that education for secondary and university levels remains a national government function.
“You want to pay the bill for the national government,” Mumma said. “When you take over the functions of the other level, some responsibilities will suffer. The correct position is that governors can assist students only through conditional grants until the function is formally transferred.”
The committee also announced plans to summon Dr. Nyakang’o for further clarification on her guidelines, signaling that the legal and financial wrangle is far from over.
Defending the counties’ position, Sakaja said funding education was both a moral and political obligation, emphasizing the direct impact bursaries have on poor households.
“We are better placed as counties to run the education function. We understand the needs of our people. What we need is a full transfer of the function—what we have now is a mongrel,” Sakaja said.
He cited Nairobi’s record as proof of efficiency, noting:
“In Nairobi County, we have spent Sh1.8 billion on bursaries in just two years, compared to Sh3 billion used over 10 years by previous administrations. We must ensure that bright and needy students get an education.”
As the debate continues, the tug-of-war over control of bursary funds underscores broader tensions between the national and county governments over the full realization of devolution in Kenya’s education sector.
