Eyebrows raised as funds hitch hurts schools upgrade
What you need to know:
- In Kisumu County, projects at various schools have stalled and it is not clear when they will be completed.
- Each of the 210 constituencies was to have one secondary school upgraded, with 50 primary school teachers and 10 secondary school tutors employed on contract.
- Seme MP James Nyikal said legislators should not be blamed for stalling of the projects.
Headteachers of schools that benefited from the economic stimulus project have raised concern over the stalling of classroom construction.
This comes five years after the initiative was started.
The principals said most of the classrooms were left in a state where they cannot be used, with funds for the second and third phases of the work having been delayed.
The Sh1.26 billion programme, the brainchild of President Uhuru Kenyatta when he was Finance minister, is now considered a failure.
Each of the 210 constituencies was to have one secondary school upgraded, with 50 primary school teachers and 10 secondary school tutors employed on contract.
At least two primary schools in each district were to have water-harvesting facilities at a cost of Sh1.47 billion. A mobile digital laboratory was to be put in place for secondary schools in each constituency.
A spot check by the Nation, however, showed that most of the schools identified as centres of excellence are yet to be fully operational to allow for enrolment of more students.
In Kisumu County, projects at various schools have stalled and it is not clear when they will be completed.
They include Magwar Model Boys School in Seme constituency, Katoto Mixed Secondary School in Nyando, Ochok Kadongo Primary School and Tiengre School in Kisumu West constituency.
In a telephone interview, Magwar School Principal Tobias Ogalo said efforts to appeal for more funds through the Education ministry and the National Treasury have been in vain.
SLAB FOR DORMTORY
“We only received the first disbursement of Sh30 million, which was used for the construction of four classrooms, an administration block, a science laboratory and the slab for a dormitory,” said Mr Ogalo.
He said they are yet to pay for the land on which the school was built.
The institution was to pay Sh80,000 per month for the 22 hectares.
Seme MP James Nyikal said legislators should not be blamed for stalling of the projects.
Dr Nyikal said he had allocated Magwar School Sh600,000 from CDF to pay for the land.
Students at the institution will sit their first national examination in 2016.
