27 Laikipia schools face acute financial crisis
Laikipia County Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Executive Secretary Ndung’u Wangenye. Kuppet has instructed principals of 27 day secondary schools to close the institutions on Friday if the government will not have disbursed free education funds. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The schools have not received the capitation since their details are yet to be captured by Nemis.
One of the principals took a private loan of Sh150,000 from a Sacco to purchase food and other equipment.
Under the free education, each secondary school student receives Sh22,244 for tuition.
At least 27 public day secondary schools in Laikipia might close early since they are yet to receive free education funds.
The institutions have not received the capitation since their details are yet to be captured by the National Education Management Information System (Nemis), the county’s Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Executive Secretary Ndung’u Wangenye said on Tuesday.
“The union has received numerous complaints from principals. The affected institutions are in the interior parts of the county where there is poor communication and transport infrastructure. Out of the 113 secondary schools in Laikipia, 27 are not captured in Nemis because of poor internet connectivity,” said Mr Wangenye.
He said Kuppet had instructed the school heads to close the institutions on Friday for April holiday, if the government will not have disbursed the funds. The government, he said, was making the running of the institutions hard.
SH6 MILLION
“Schools like Limunga with 270 students, which is supposed to receive more than Sh6 million, has received nothing with two weeks to the end of first term. The non-teaching staff are also demanding their salaries,” said Mr Wangenye noting that the institutions were financially strained.
He reported that one of the principals took a private loan of Sh150,000 from a Sacco to purchase food, laboratory chemicals and other learning equipment.
“Since January, the Ministry of Education has been promising to send the money,” he noted.
He urged the ministry to use the manual data to disburse the funds to normalise operations in the institutions as the principals continue uploading students’ details in the Nemis system.
FINANCIAL CRISES
Other institutions facing financial crises include Lechagu, Kio and Mutara secondary schools.
The government has, however, indicated that this year’s capitation, which amounts to Sh36 billion, will only be disbursed through the Nemis system.
This is contrary to the previous years when the ministry relied on the information provided by school heads.
Under the free education, each secondary school student receives Sh22,244 for tuition, infrastructure, travel and transport among others.
