Eddy Oketch backs push to consolidate all bursaries to achieve free education
By Mabonga Makhanu, November 4, 2025Migori Senator Eddy Oketch is advocating for the consolidation of all bursary programmes into a single fund to pave the way for free education in Kenya.
Speaking during a podcast on the Mufasa Show on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Oketch argued that bursaries issued by various leaders should be unified to enhance efficiency and accessibility in education funding.
The senator revealed that there are ongoing plans in the Senate to amend the Constitution to support this initiative.
Watch: Eddy Oketch backs push to consolidate all bursaries to achieve free education
He pointed specifically to Article 43, which guarantees the right to health and education, stating that this right should be changed to the right to free progressive education for all, which will see the merger of all the bursaries issued by different offices into one huge fund to make education free across all levels
Oketch proposed that bursaries currently issued by the president, members of parliament, governors, and women representatives be consolidated into one central fund.
The funds would then be sent directly to schools to facilitate free education across all levels.
“Tunataka kuammend constitution, I think it’s article 43; we have the right to health education, and everything. Hio right inafaa kuwa progressive free education for all, meaning we make sure that from primary school to secondary school up to university it is free, and how do we achieve that? We consolidate all these bursaries issued by the president, MPs, governors, and women reps into one fund and send it to school for us to achieve free primary education,” Eddy said.
Ongoing challenges
He highlighted challenges in the current system, where bursaries are often managed by politicians who distribute them selectively to their supporters.
By centralising the funds, Oketch believes the government can eliminate favouritism and ensure equal access for all students, thus fulfilling the constitutional promise of free and fair education.
He further defended the merger of funds into one, saying that it will make audits of funds dispatched to schools from the Ministry of Education easier since, as it stands currently, according to him, it’s hard to audit since funds are coming from different pockets.
“Because with bursaries when left in the hands of politicians to manage, they only give it to their supporters who elected them,” he stated.