Democratic Party (DP) leader Justin Muturi has criticised Members of Parliament (MPs) who require parents and children to sing or perform before receiving bursaries, describing the practice as humiliating and a violation of learners’ dignity.
In a video shared on his X account on Saturday, October 17, 2026, the former National Assembly Speaker said the practice forces needy families to endure embarrassment to secure financial assistance for their children’s education.
Muturi questioned why parents must accompany their children to appear before politicians seeking bursaries while other learners remain in classrooms attending lessons.
“Ni aibu sana mzazi na mtoto wake waitwe kwenda kumwimbia mbunge ndio wapate bursary, huku watoto wengine wako darasani wakisoma,” he stated.
He argued that access to education should not depend on a family’s ability to plead with elected leaders or participate in activities to demonstrate their financial struggles.
“Education is a right for every child, not a politician’s charity or something that must be begged for through singing,” Muturi said.
The DP leader maintained that requiring parents and children to sing for financial assistance exposes struggling families to unnecessary shame and makes learners feel different from their peers.
“You are putting the parent in a situation of shame, struggling and knowing that they are going to beg. And that child too, you are putting them through the same thing. You are torturing that child,” he said.
Muturi called for a system that enables children from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to access education without their parents having to attend political events or publicly demonstrate their inability to pay school fees.
He argued that the current approach risks turning education support into a favour granted by individual politicians rather than a service guaranteed to every child.
The former National Assembly Speaker cited Article 53 of the Constitution of Kenya, which guarantees every child the right to free and compulsory basic education.
He argued that the government should take greater responsibility for ensuring the constitutional right is realised without subjecting parents and learners to humiliating experiences.
Muturi also referred to the Basic Education Act, 2013, which provides the legal framework for basic education in Kenya, insisting that the state must play a central role in addressing barriers that prevent children from accessing learning opportunities.
“We, the alternative government, we are saying education, we shall make it actually free, so that no parent, no parent is made to suffer the embarrassment,” he said.
In his accompanying post, Muturi reiterated his commitment to making education accessible without forcing parents to endure humiliation to secure financial support for their children.
“We will make education free!” he declared.
Muturi’s latest remarks renew his criticism of Kenya’s bursary system, which he has previously accused of making families dependent on politicians for assistance that should be guaranteed through public education funding.
In January 2026, he called for the abolition of the system, arguing that requiring parents to queue, sing and wait for political leaders to distribute bursaries undermines their dignity.
He maintained that education funding should be administered through a system that protects learners and ensures that financial hardship does not prevent children from attending school.
His latest comments place renewed focus on the management of bursaries and the broader question of how Kenya can guarantee equitable access to education while preserving the dignity of vulnerable families.
