Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri has called for changes in the implementation of the county bursary programme to ensure all learners in day secondary schools benefit without unnecessary delays and bureaucracy.
Khatri spoke on Tuesday during his ongoing visit to day secondary schools in Kisauni Sub-County, where he distributed notebooks, a geometry set and pens to each learner ahead of the national examinations.
The initiative, which began on Monday, is targeting approximately 4,500 learners across Kisauni day secondary schools.
Khatri visited Marimani and Mwakirunge secondary schools on Monday before proceeding to Shanzu Senior School, Hassan Joho Girls and Mwembe Legeza Secondary School on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by Shanzu MCA Allan Katana, Kadzandani MCA Fatuma More, nominated MCA Solomon Ngugi and other leaders.
During the visit, Khatri said the county government had changed the way it supports school feeding programmes after concerns were raised over inadequate supplies.
He said school administrators had complained that the food supplied to schools was insufficient, forcing teachers to incur additional costs.
“The rice ration was one kilogramme for six students, while in another instance, one kilogramme was shared among 11 students. We were told that the food supply had been reduced,” Khatri said.
He said the county had since moved from supplying food directly to schools to providing funds that allow administrators to manage their own requirements.
Khatri also called for a review of school fees, saying many parents were unable to meet the full cost of secondary education.
He said the county government had committed Sh2,500 per learner under the bursary programme, with the amount expected to rise to Sh7,500 next year.
“If the school fees are Sh20,000 and the county government pays Sh7,500, that leaves Sh12,500. If the Member of Parliament pays another Sh5,000, the balance comes down to Sh7,500,” he said.
Khatri urged school administrators to consider reducing the amount parents are required to pay, arguing that many families do not actually manage to pay the full fees charged.
He said schools should assess their actual collections rather than relying on the nominal fee charged to every learner.
“Let us look at the reality and see how much money students actually pay. One may pay Sh20,000, another Sh12,000, another Sh15,000, while another may only manage Sh5,000,” Khatri said.
The Speaker also criticised cases where parents were allegedly asked to provide voter identification cards when seeking bursary assistance.
He said government support should not be tied to political affiliation or voting cards.
“This money does not come from an individual’s pocket. It comes from the government. When you go to a shop to buy something, you are not asked for a voter card. The taxes collected are distributed by the national government and eventually reach the county to support programmes such as school fees,” he said.
Khatri called on MCAs to strengthen oversight of the bursary programme to ensure all eligible learners benefit.
He proposed that schools should provide the county government with the number of enrolled learners so that bursary funds can be paid directly based on verified enrolment.
“If a school has 868 students, we should pay for all 868 directly, and the school should provide receipts to confirm that the money has been received. There is no need to subject parents to unnecessary hardship,” he said.
Khatri also urged learners to respect their teachers, saying educators spend more time with students than their parents during the school term.
“You spend more time with your teachers than with your parents. Your parent takes you to school in the morning and you remain with your teacher until evening. Teachers therefore play a very important role in your lives,” he said.
He encouraged students not to interpret strictness from teachers as hatred, saying discipline is part of the teaching profession.
“If a teacher is strict with you, relax and understand that there may be a reason. Teachers are also human beings and parents, and not everyone can do the work they do,” Khatri said.
The Speaker further promised to recognise and reward the best-performing students from all the schools he visited in the national examinations.
He urged the learners to remain focused on their studies as they prepare for the examinations.