Secondary school students vetting delays funding

Six weeks after government announced that it had disbursed K19 billion in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) education bursaries, by yesterday afternoon most secondary schools were yet to receive the funding.

However, The Nation has learnt that the delay is due to vetting processes at councils to identify needy students in secondary and technical colleges.

Secondary School Teachers Union president Pilirani Kapolo said in an interview that the delay was affecting schools’ ability to feed needy students who have been at school for almost a month.

He said there is an increase in the number of students receiving bursaries, and the delay was putting pressure on schools to feed them.

Boarding fees range from K200 000 to K220 000.

“This is worrisome because schools are feeding students that have not paid anything and they are eating food on credit which will be like a tug of war between suppliers and the school managers,” he said in a telephone interview.

But National Local Government Finance Committee executive director Kondwani Santhe confirmed that the funds were disbursed to councils as announced.

On the breakdown of the allocations, he said it was up to the individual councils to decide how many students should benefit in secondary schools and technical colleges.

Meanwhile, Some councils The Nation interviewed confirmed yesterday that the delay in paying the schools was due to vetting processes.

The vetting starts at village development committee level and proceeds to the area development committee, then the Constituency Development Committee (CDC) and ends at district development committee.

Chitipa District Council chairperson Given Kitha said 400 students had initially been identified, but the number was likely to increase.

“We noted that there were funds remaining. We are working on bringing on board more students during phase 2,” he said.

Similarly, Nsanje District Council chairperson Omar Charles said the funding under bursary was huge, and they are searching for more students to be included.

He said they asked schools not to chase the students and that payment might have started last week.

Chiradzulu District Council chairperson Alick Naphiyo said each of the district’s five constituencies had received K75 million, but that the vetting processes had just been completed.

“I am receiving communication that payments to schools have started,” he said.

Nkhotakota District Council chairperson Fiton Khofi also said the vetting process has just been completed.

“Vetting has been completed and we have written to DOF [director of finance at the council] to make payments. We hope payments will be made this week,” said Khofi.

Meanwhile, Civil Society Education Coalition executive director Benedicto Kondowe said the delay had the potential to compromise education quality.

“Where the money is not sent, it would actually affect the delivery of quality education,” said Kondowe.

In addition to district secondary school students, the bursary targets students in national secondary schools from their respective district councils, students in technical colleges, and those pursuing diploma courses at colleges of health sciences.

On September 1 2026, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri announced that the government had disbursed K19 billion in bursaries to all councils ahead of the schools’ reopening on September 14.

In addition to bursaries, the government is paying tuition fees of K33 900 per student in government secondary schools.

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