By Alexander Kieti
Mwala MP Eng. Vincent Musyoka Kawaya has led distributed bursaries for over 7000 university and college students in Mwala Constituency at Makutano DEB Primary School.
In this year's exercise 7123 students from across the 6 wards of Mwala Subcounty are set to benefit from bursaries worth Kes.48 million from the Constituency NG-CDF fund after applying through the constituency's online platform designed by the MP.
The legislator, speaking at the event, faulted the county government of Machakos under Governor Wavinya Ndeti for continuously giving little amount to few needy students as bursary even though the county receives a greater allocation of funds from the national government compared to Constituencies that receive lower amount yet MPs give more money and to more students.
Mbiuni-Kathama ward MCA Peter Kilonzo PK backed the MP stating that the county government has been giving 800,000 per ward which adds up to 2.4 million for Mwala Constituency alone.
Kilonzo added that it has been difficult for MCAs across Machakos County to reach the needs of wananchi in the grassroots with such little budget allocation from the county government crippling the efforts to support education.
Besides education, Eng. Kawaya also raised a concern for the increased suicide cases which are higher among the youth particularly the male gender with Mwala recording more than 20 suicide cases in the last quarter of 2023 a lone for different reasons with the cost of living and family feuds as the major causes.
He called upon the youth to take personal initiative and protect their dignities by avoiding stress factors including drugs and seeking assistance when pressed instead of taking their lives.
Further, on the cost of living Kawaya argued that the national government is working tirelessly to harmonize the biting economy to ease the spiking cost of living. He defended the government measures including taxation saying it seeks to reduce national borrowing with the external date hitting a record 11 trillion.
According to Kawaya the current measures will come with many benefits which will fruit with time as it is no haste in relaxing the current economy status asking Mwala residents and Kenyans to be patient with the government.
