Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has strongly criticized former Attorney General and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi over his recent call to abolish the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursaries, describing the proposal as ill-informed and out of touch with the realities facing ordinary Kenyans.
Speaking on Friday during the Mazingira Day celebrations at Gituburi Primary School in Mbeere North, Embu County, CS Ruku dismissed Muturi’s remarks as “misleading,” insisting that the NG-CDF bursary programme remains an indispensable lifeline for thousands of students across the country.
“It is only people like him, who do not have children in school at the moment, that fail to understand what parents are going through,” Ruku said.
Muturi had earlier argued that bursaries fail to reach all deserving students and should therefore be scrapped. However, Ruku countered that during his two-year tenure as Member of Parliament for Mbeere North, every student who applied for bursary support received assistance.
He noted that the fund has eased the financial burden on parents in the semi-arid Mbeere region, where economic hardships are particularly severe.
The CS cautioned that eliminating the NG-CDF bursary would jeopardize educational access for many vulnerable children who rely on it to remain in school.
Ruku also took a swipe at Muturi and his allies in the opposition for allegedly undermining local development projects, including the Gikuyari–Kiriì–Ishiara road, whose tender was recently advertised.
Turning to politics, the Cabinet Secretary urged residents to be vigilant in the upcoming Mbeere North parliamentary by-election, warning against electing leaders who oppose NG-CDF.
He openly expressed support for Leonard Wamuthende, the UDA candidate, saying Mbeere North voters were determined to back a leader committed to community development.
In line with the Mazingira Day theme, “Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship”, Ruku led government officials, learners, and residents in planting trees at his former school.
He encouraged locals to adopt tree growing as a daily habit, particularly in arid areas like Mbeere North, where climate change and water scarcity pose major challenges.
The CS emphasized that the government is promoting drought-resistant indigenous trees, supported by water harvesting technologies such as rooftop catchments and community dams.
He urged every household, school, and institution to actively participate in President William Ruto’s plan to plant 15 billion trees, calling it a patriotic duty toward a greener and more resilient Kenya.
“Let us leave here not just inspired but committed,” he said. “The journey to a greener and more sustainable Kenya begins with each of us.”
Ruku concluded by highlighting the wider benefits of environmental conservation, including job creation, youth empowerment, and local entrepreneurship through seedling nurseries and climate-smart agriculture, stressing that environmental stewardship and development are inseparable pillars of national progress.
Source: Citizen Digital
Written By Rodney Mbua
