School funds to be released this week: PS

Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Headteachers protest delay in the release of the funds, which has affected payment of salaries for non-teaching staff.
  • Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Chairman Kahi Indimuli said day schools are the most affected by the delay.

  • In May, the Ministry of Education released Sh16 billion as capitation for primary and secondary schools.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang on Saturday assured school heads that the remaining Sh6 billion capitation for second term will be released before the end of the week.

The remarks followed protests from headteachers over the delay in the release of the funds, which has affected payment of salaries for non-teaching staff and board of management teachers across the country.

Dr Kipsang said the failure to release the funds on time was occasioned by the late reading of the budget statement.

“We are working round the clock to ensure that schools get the money,” said the PS.

PAYING FEES

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Chairman Kahi Indimuli said day schools are the most affected by the delay.

“We urgently need this money to keep students in schools. Parents are not paying fees on time,” said Mr Indimuli.

The schools received 13 per cent of the capitation in May. According to government funding programme, schools receive 50 per cent of the capitation in first term, 30 per cent in second term and 20 per cent in third term.

In May, the Ministry of Education released Sh16 billion as capitation for primary and secondary schools.

In Kakamega County, heads of secondary schools asked the government to release money meant for Free Secondary Education, saying the delay was adversely affecting programmes.

SECOND TERM

Mumias East sub-county heads of secondary schools’ association chairman Mr Peter Omutiti said the delay was making it hard to manage schools.

“Up to this time, money has not been released to schools for the second term despite numerous crucial programmes and expenditure by schools,” said Mr Omutiti.

He said schools are likely to post bad results at the end of the year because of lack of funds to run programmes effectively.

“We have teachers who are hired by the Boards of Management. They are purely paid by schools through money from the government after we were restrained from collecting money from parents,” Mr Omutiti said.

He said the delay in paying teachers hired by board of management demoralises them and results in poor performance in their subjects.

CONGESTION

Mr Denis Munyendo, the principal of St Mathias Mwitoti Secondary School in Mumias, said headteachers were under pressure as support from the government is limited.

“Many schools have new principals who have been moved under the delocalisation programme and need time to adopt to their new stations before they are asked to deliver,” said Mr Munyendo.

He said the government should support schools by ensuring the Teachers Service Commission deploys enough staff to schools and infrastructure development is funded.

Overcrowding and congestion due to the government’s 100 per cent transition policy are also seen as some of the factors that might jeopardise performance.