CS RUKU DEFENDS CDF BURSARIES

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has hit back at former Attorney General Justin Muturi following his call to scrap hits back at Muturi’s call to scrap Constituency Bursaries.
Ruku on Friday strongly rebutted remarks made by former National Assembly Speaker and Attorney General, Justin Muturi, who recently called for the scrapping of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursaries.

Muturi had stated that he is on record that bursaries fail to reach all students. However, during the Mazingira Day celebrations held at Gituburi Primary School in Mbeere North, Embu County, CS Ruku dismissed Muturi’s claims as misleading and disconnected from the reality on the ground.
He pointed out that during his two-year tenure as Member of Parliament for the constituency, all the Mbeere North students who were in need of NG-CDF bursary support were assisted.

The bursaries have significantly contributed towards alleviating school fee financial burdens on numerous parents, particularly in the semi-arid Mbeere region where economic burdens are more severe, Ruku noted.

CS Ruku maintained that the NG-CDF bursary program is still a safety net for needy families, allowing children to remain in school and pursue their studies uninterrupted.
He cautioned that calls to abolish the fund would bring about severe damage to access to education by thousands of deserving students across the country.

He asserted that people of Mbeere North have promised to cast their votes for Leonard Wamuthende on UDA ticket in the forthcoming Mbeere North By election.
Environmentally, Ruku was in sync with this year's Mazingira Day focused Citizen Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship, by calling on citizens to adopt tree planting as a lifestyle.

He clarified that tree planting in semi-arid and arid regions like Mbeere North is not a symbolic gesture but a factual measure in the face of climate change and water scarcity.During the Celebrations the CS led other government officials, students, and locals to plant trees at his former school.

He reiterated that environmental conservation was not separate from development but central to it, particularly for the vulnerable group who rely on agriculture for survival.

The CS urged citizens to claim ownership of their environment and future and requested them to ensure that every child has a tree they planted mature up with them.

Let us leave here not merely motivated but dedicated," he said, repeating that to achieve a greener and more resilient Kenya begins with doing something on one's part.