Kabaka Education Fund broke
Apr 15, 2007
TEN years after its inception, the Kabaka Education Fund (KEF) is faced with financial problems to the detriment of the hundreds of beneficiaries. <br>
By Josephine Maseruka
TEN years after its inception, the Kabaka Education Fund (KEF) is faced with financial problems to the detriment of the hundreds of beneficiaries.
The scheme, initiated by Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s government to help the needy children pursue education at all levels, is getting crippled due to meagre funding.
According to Sauda Namyalo, the former Mengo state minister for education, the scheme has so far benefited over 100,000 needy children. She said in 2006, the Mengo education ministry received over 500 applications for scholarships in various institutions.
“Unfortunately, we only managed to sponsor 30 students at an estimated sh600,000 each.
Once we take on students at tertiary level, we must ensure that they complete their courses.â€
Last year KEF received over 10,000 applications for bursaries. Namyalo said the demand is overwhelming and they cannot even satisfy a quarter of the applicants. The new education state minister, Dr Fred Masaazi Masagazi, said that KEF only sponsors about 5% of the children who apply due to limited funding.
He is optimistic that the new KEF policy which aims at strengthening the process and streamlining the charity’s activities will reduce the challenges faced.
The recorded sh112m shortfall in the sale of Buganda kingdom development certificates last year is another big blow to the KEF.
Out of the sh137m proceeds from the sale of the certificates, about sh45m will this year go to KEF, whose budget is in billions of shillings. More needy children will not be helped.
Mengo finance minister A.B Ntaate said 80% of the proceeds from the sale of the sh1,000 kingdom certificates and another 20% of the total revenue from the sale of other certificates go to KEF.
TEN years after its inception, the Kabaka Education Fund (KEF) is faced with financial problems to the detriment of the hundreds of beneficiaries.
The scheme, initiated by Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s government to help the needy children pursue education at all levels, is getting crippled due to meagre funding.
According to Sauda Namyalo, the former Mengo state minister for education, the scheme has so far benefited over 100,000 needy children. She said in 2006, the Mengo education ministry received over 500 applications for scholarships in various institutions.
“Unfortunately, we only managed to sponsor 30 students at an estimated sh600,000 each.
Once we take on students at tertiary level, we must ensure that they complete their courses.â€
Last year KEF received over 10,000 applications for bursaries. Namyalo said the demand is overwhelming and they cannot even satisfy a quarter of the applicants. The new education state minister, Dr Fred Masaazi Masagazi, said that KEF only sponsors about 5% of the children who apply due to limited funding.
He is optimistic that the new KEF policy which aims at strengthening the process and streamlining the charity’s activities will reduce the challenges faced.
The recorded sh112m shortfall in the sale of Buganda kingdom development certificates last year is another big blow to the KEF.
Out of the sh137m proceeds from the sale of the certificates, about sh45m will this year go to KEF, whose budget is in billions of shillings. More needy children will not be helped.
Mengo finance minister A.B Ntaate said 80% of the proceeds from the sale of the sh1,000 kingdom certificates and another 20% of the total revenue from the sale of other certificates go to KEF.