Crisis in schools as KNUT, KUPPET say Ksh.19B capitation funds too little

Education stakeholders have faulted the government for the delayed release of capitation owed to schools, citing frustration among school heads.

This comes as the Ministry of Education reported that the government has released Ksh.19 billion for capitation, with secondary schools yet to receive their share of the funds.

The ministry says the situation has been occasioned by a financial crisis within the government, vowing to disburse more funds by the end of this week.

So far, the National Treasury has released Ksh.19 billion for basic education, an amount that the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) says is a drop in the ocean, as crucial voteheads such as infrastructure that would have seen the setting up and equipping of classrooms across Junior Secondary Schools remain unaddressed.

“If the suppliers, for example, insist that they must be paid, it will force the Board of Management to go for virement. If they go for virement from one vote head to the next, it will cause a lot of confusion and mix-up. In the long run, the realization of the dream of the competency-based curriculum may not be actualized,” said Kisumu KNUT Executive Secretary David Obuon.

Secondary schools, on the other hand, are yet to receive any capitation, with school heads now warning of the stalling of crucial activities.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has, however, given an assurance that money will be available by the end of the week.

“The disbursement is ongoing under instalments because of the financial challenges that the government is facing, but we are ensuring that funds are released so that schools are able to run. By the end of this week, Ksh.14 billion will be released,” Migos said.

KESSHA National Chairperson Willie Kuria added: “We are really hopeful that this will happen because if you take into account that last year there was a deficit of 7,000, there are existing debts. So we are waiting to clear debts before we take on more debts.”

“Principals are digging deeper into their pockets. The money that the government sends, they are instructed on how to use it, and that is not enough to make ends meet. With the way things are, and the absence of Form Ones, things are going to be very precarious,” Kisumu KUPPET Executive Secretary Zablon Awange said.

The government was to disburse a total of Ksh.48 billion for the first term of the academic calendar, where Ksh.28.9 billion was owed to secondary schools and Ksh.4.1 billion.

The delay in the release of capitation is now causing jitters among school heads, with some education stakeholders warning of a compromise in the roll-out of the competency-based curriculum, where some Grade 9 learners remain in limbo due to the lack of infrastructure and other crucial materials.