Long queues as residents brave sun for bursary

A day after a stampede ensued during the bursary forms issuance at Githurai area of Ruiru, Kiambu county, long queues of desperate constituents seeking to benefit were witnessed yesterday.

Armed with umbrellas to cushion themselves from the scorching sun, residents of the populous constituency queued from as early as 4am seeking a share of the bursary kitty.

More than 70,000 residents with boarding school-going children have already applied to benefit from the kitty while day scholars who are the majority are expected to have the kitty credited in their respective school accounts

Important forms

According to some of the potential beneficiaries who were seen taking porridge while waiting to be granted the important forms, the constituency has been getting a raw deal when it comes to resources allocation owing to its huge population.

“Our MP has been trying to share what is available but the burden is too big for him. I have been queuing since 4am and I am still here, hopeful to get the form. We shall only enjoy an easy time and maximum share when the government will demarcate this constituency into three,” Bernadette Wambui, a parent eyeing to have her three children benefit said.

The 2019 national census had enumerated the population of the busy town at 490,120, a figure area MP Simon King’ara said has since increased to about 700,000 residents.

Bursary forms

It is the huge population that saw residents scramble for the available bursary forms, a Monday event that left James Atanga, a father of two who was pushed by the frantic bursary-seekers, dead.

Atanga who was seeking bursary for his child who is in Form Four was pronounced dead at Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital where well wishers had transferred him for treatment.

Five others were admitted at various hospitals in Kiambu, one unconscious while others bore minor injuries from the pandemonium.

Following the incident, the MP yesterday revealed that better arrangements had been made to facilitate a smooth, uninterrupted forms issuance exercise.

He stated that his office was in communication with the affected families and his foundation will cater for treatment expenses for the affected while Atanga’s children will have their education paid for.

The MP said the populous constituency has been suffering from inadequate government offices such as hospitals.

Ruiru has only one main hospital – Ruiru District Level Four Hospital that serves thousands daily, its poor equipment notwithstanding.

The constituency has only eight police stations despite its vastness, a challenge the MP insisted required to be addressed urgently for residents to maximumly enjoy government services.

Effective service

“Ruiru is highly populated. Like you have seen, we undergo very stressful times issuing bursaries as we cannot stop parents from coming for what is theirs. That said, it’s been hectic trying to divide the little we get to the over 70,000 applicants,” said the MP.

King’ara rooted for demarcation of the constituency into three units and or tripling of the funds it receives from the national government for effective service delivery. He further called for re-introduction of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that sought to have over 70 new electoral units spread across 28 counties created to facilitate equitable distribution of resources as per the population.

“If the constituency can be divided into three, we will be at par with other electoral areas. Right now, we only do what we can,” said the MP.

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