Parents want schools to charge timely capitation before they reopen.
The Ministry of Education’s delays in releasing capitation money, just days before the start of the second term, have caused worry among parents around the nation.
With classes scheduled to restart, school leaders and parents worry that more postponements may throw off operations and hurt the caliber of instruction.
To pay for running expenses like personnel wages, infrastructure upkeep, and teaching resources, public schools are largely reliant on government-allocated funds.
However, a number of institutions have had trouble paying their bills due to ongoing delays in payment.
“We cannot effectively run schools without timely funds,” said Ann Langat, a parent representative in Bomet County. “Delays force schools to burden parents with additional levies, yet many are already struggling with high living costs.”
To ensure that capitation funds are released on schedule, education stakeholders are currently demanding more oversight. “The government must prioritize education funding to avoid unnecessary disruptions,” said Grace Tanui, a teacher in Kericho. “Delays hurt both students and institutions.”
Parents and school administrators are still hopeful that the ministry would move quickly to prevent another catastrophe as the reopening day approaches.
The continued delay in distributing capitation funding to public schools continues to be a problem, causing disruptions to instruction and compelling schools to run on meager resources.
The Free Primary and Day Secondary Education programs’ capitation funds, which are distributed by student, are intended to pay for vital school expenditures such textbooks, infrastructure, and running expenses. Delays, though, have grown commonplace, putting school officials under financial strain.
Jane Muthoni, a teacher in Nakuru County, stated that “this is not a new issue—it happens every term. We are compelled to borrow from suppliers or ask parents for additional contributions, which defeats the purpose of free education.”
Some of the repercussions of postponing capitation are accumulated debts, overburdened parents, inadequate learning environments, and postponed repairs, to mention a few.
Despite repeated promises of on-time disbursement from the Ministry of Education, delays continue. According to Auditor-General reports from the 2023 fiscal year, certain schools were compelled to spend in a deficit because they received funds months late.
A ministry representative, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “We are processing the funds and expect them to be released soon.” However, stakeholders are still wary because there is no accountability.
According to education specialists, the delays are caused by systemic inefficiencies, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and inadequate budget planning.
Dr. Moses Malawi, an educator, stated, “The government must automate and streamline the disbursement process to align with school terms, as delays undermine the very foundation of free education.”