NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 8 -The Ministry of Education has affirmed that the exchequer has released school capitations amidst uproar that the delay in the release is eroding fair and equitable learning in public institutions.
The government owes the learning institutions over Sh87 billion for the financial year 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
Last week, the Treasury announced the release of Sh31.34 billion days after Opposition Leader Raila Odinga demanded the release of the funds ahead of school reopening.
“I would want to assure our schools, assure our head teachers, assure our principals that yes we have released capitations. The resources were are supposed to release, we have done so,”
“It’s not in your accounts today, it’s a process, it could be in your account maybe today or tomorrow. I want to assure it’s on the process,” said Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang during the release of 2023 KCPE examination.
At the same time, PS Kipsang announced they have facilitated payment for all KCSE examiners with the teaching professionals expected to receive their payment by the end of day.
“We have released your resources,I know KNEC finalized today morning.The resources wil be on your point of payment by today.This is the first timje that we are paying our professional during the release of exams,”he said.
The government allocates sh22, 244 per learner annually, under the free day secondary school program but the allocation disbursed by the Ministry of Education is Sh16,400 per learner.
Odinga decried that the government has disbursed Sh.64,421,850,160.01 to secondary schools for third term in the 2022/2023 financial year against an initial set figure of Ksh82, 088,723,744 for the 3,690,376 learners.
This leaves a deficit of Ksh.17,666,873,584 owed to the institutions, leaving the fate of 794,231 students in limbo.
According to him, the Kenya Kwanza government has so far released only Ksh.3,327.87 per child instead of the Ksh.22, 244 set by the previous administration in 2018.
Revelations by the Ministry of Education that they are facing underfunding and can only disburse 68 percent of capitation per learner.
PS Kipsang explained that the capitation shortfall will continue to persist saying they cannot afford to disburse 100 capitations due to funding gap attributed to fiscal challenges.
Following revelations by the Ministry of Education, parents may be forced to deeper in their pockets to fill the deficit gap as the running of operations in learning institutions has been stifled.
With the government facing a cash crisis school principals have warned that they will increase school fees and drop some school activities due to financial constraints.
School management have complained about the high prices of foodstuffs and failure by the government to remit capitation money in full, and in good time.
