Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru announced on Wednesday that the Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement (IPA) governing the bursary and scholarship programme has successfully passed key approvals and has now been forwarded to the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCOB).
“We have good news. The bursary and scholarship Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement has now been cleared,” Waiguru said in a statement.
“The documents have been forwarded to the Office of the Controller of Budget, which should clear the final hurdle and allow the county to access the funds. We thank all stakeholders for their patience and support throughout this process.”
The approval paves the way for the resumption of bursary disbursements, which had been halted following concerns raised by the Controller of Budget over constitutional mandates.
County governments were last year barred from issuing bursaries directly after it was ruled that the function falls under the national government, which is constitutionally responsible for primary, secondary, tertiary, and university education.
To resolve the impasse, Kirinyaga County signed the IPA with the Ministry of Education, allowing the county to continue supporting needy students under a legally compliant framework.
Speaking earlier in November, Waiguru said the agreement would unlock Ksh126.5 million allocated for bursaries and scholarships in the 2025/2026 financial year.
“Having understood the challenges that affected disbursement in the 2024/25 financial year, we took steps to resolve the issue by signing this agreement,” she said.
“We expect the gazettement process to be finalized within this month to ensure funds are released in time for school reopening.”
The governor noted that once the agreement is fully gazetted, the county will resume managing the bursary programme, offering relief to thousands of students who have gone without financial support for nearly a year.
Waiguru revealed that since the programme’s inception, the county has cumulatively disbursed Ksh540.7 million to vulnerable learners, significantly expanding the kitty from Ksh49.1 million in the 2017/2018 financial year to Ksh146 million in 2023/24.
Beyond bursaries, the county government has also invested heavily in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) infrastructure, with new classrooms constructed and older facilities renovated to create safer and more conducive learning environments.
According to Waiguru, ECDE enrollment has risen from 13,280 learners in 2017 to 16,398 learners in 2025, with approximately 15,000 pupils benefiting from free school uniforms.
“The new facilities have been equipped with furniture, water tanks, and play equipment to enhance early learning,” she said.
The governor further noted that the absorption of ECDE teachers into permanent and pensionable terms has boosted morale and improved service delivery across the county.
“We have consistently replaced teachers who exit service, provided CBC-aligned teaching materials, and offered refresher training to enhance classroom engagement and learner outcomes,” she added.
The approval of the scholarship agreement has been welcomed by parents and education stakeholders, who view it as a timely intervention amid rising education costs and economic pressures facing households.
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