Magoha says withheld funds for over 200 schools now released

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has assured more than 200 secondary schools that capitation for first term which had been withheld since January has now been released.

This follows protests from principals of the schools who had accused the Ministry of Education for failing to release the cash despite the institutions having provided the required information.

“I have talked to PS (Belio Kipsang) this morning and he has assured me that the funds for first term have been released to the schools,” said Prof Magoha in Murang’a on Monday.

BLAMED MINISTRY

But several principals said they were yet to receive the funds and blamed the Ministry of Education for making it hard for them to manage their schools.

“We are in second term and we are yet to receive term one funds. Up to today nothing is in the school's account. I have 12 non-teaching staff, 14 BOM teachers to pay, crowded mabati classrooms, no furniture for students,” lamented one of the affected principals.

He said principals of affected schools have been promised funds several times through their chairman Kahi Indimuli but nobody seems to care.

Details of all students are supposed to be in the National Information Management Information System (Nemis) before funding can be released.

Prof Magoha said details of all learners have now been captured in Nemis and therefor the funds have been released.

However, schools are yet to receive capitation for second term one week after re-opening.

The government pays Sh22,244 annually for every secondary school student and Sh1,420 for each pupil in primary school.

NEMIS

Speaking in Muranga on Monday during the launch of training of education officials for the competency based curriculum, Prof Magoha said Nemis will enable provision of quality, reliable and timely education statistics to enrich the government’s planning processes.

“The unique identification issued to schools, learners and all members of staff in our institutions of learning will improve the management of resources in the education sector and allow all efforts to be directed at achieving quality education for sustainable development.

“Through this system, education sector players will get to know the status of education in regard to access, quality, equity, relevance, efficiency as well as institutional development. Nemis therefore is an effort that must be supported by all stakeholders who love to see the success of the education sector in Kenya,” said the CS.