Speaking during the Elimu Mashinani initiative in Makueni County, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok revealed that the Ministry of Education is working on a centralized portal that will bring together all bursary funds from different sources.
The new system will integrate funds from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), county governments, national government programs, and private scholarships into one platform.
According to Bitok, the rollout of the portal is expected to begin in May, shortly after learners resume for the second term.
“We are working on a system where we want to start consolidating all bursaries—from CDF, counties, national government, and scholarships—into one platform,” Bitok stated.
He added that the Ministry is partnering with a major telecommunications company to develop a reporting system that will track beneficiaries and eliminate duplication.
“With this system, once a student receives support from one source, they will not be listed again under another,” he explained.
The move aims to address long-standing concerns about lack of transparency and inefficiencies in the current bursary allocation system.
At present, the decentralized approach has made it difficult to track beneficiaries, sometimes leading to cases where one student receives multiple bursaries while others miss out entirely.
Bitok emphasized that the new portal will provide real-time data on who receives funding, from which source, and how much.
“We want a very open system where every bursary and scholarship is recorded so that we ensure fairness and accountability,” he said.
The centralized platform will also help streamline the distribution process, reducing delays that have often been associated with manual systems currently in use.
In addition, the reform is expected to curb political interference, which has in the past been cited as a factor influencing how bursaries are allocated in some regions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has also been involved in ongoing efforts to improve the management of education funds and ensure that resources reach deserving students.
The new system is part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and improving access to education for learners across the country.
If successfully implemented, the portal is expected to ensure that bursary funds are distributed more equitably, benefiting students who need them the most while eliminating duplication and wastage.
More updates are expected as the Ministry finalizes preparations for the rollout.
Bitok emphasized that the new portal will provide real-time data on who receives funding, from which source, and how much.
“We want a very open system where every bursary and scholarship is recorded so that we ensure fairness and accountability,” he said.
The centralized platform will also help streamline the distribution process, reducing delays that have often been associated with manual systems currently in use.
In addition, the reform is expected to curb political interference, which has in the past been cited as a factor influencing how bursaries are allocated in some regions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has also been involved in ongoing efforts to improve the management of education funds and ensure that resources reach deserving students.
The new system is part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and improving access to education for learners across the country.
If successfully implemented, the portal is expected to ensure that bursary funds are distributed more equitably, benefiting students who need them the most while eliminating duplication and wastage.
More updates are expected as the Ministry finalizes preparations for the rollout.
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Kenya