Schools can now breath a sign of relief after the Government said the Sh48.8 billion capitation will hit their accounts next week.
The government has announced that it will release Sh48.8 billion capitation to schools next week, urging learning institutions to be patient and stop panicking over delayed
Speaking in Kakamega County during the tour at Savonah Water Project in Shitaho Community in Shinyalu Constituency in the company of Governor Fernandes Barasa, Cabinet Secretary for Treasury John Mbadi dismissed claims that education is under crisis due to the delay in disbursement of capitation while assuring schools that the National Treasury will release money to schools by next week.
“Today and yesterday I have seen many stories in the Media that our education system is facing challenges because capitation has not been released, the reason why we have not released capitation is because this month we were to pay Sh70 billion to foreign borrowers which have now completed and settled,” said Mbadi.
He added, ” Next week we will be releasing Sh48.8billion to schools as capitation money which is 50 percent of the entire year budget and therefore i want to tell our schools managers, school heads, and teachers not to panic because the national Treasury will release capitation money next week.”
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CS Mbadi said education is a very critical sector that needs maximum attention.
“We need to fund our education because we 5believe our education system is a critical and important social function,” said Mbadi.
Mbadi’s assurance comes barely a week after schools opened for the first term. Secondary school heads have reported that the learning institutions were heading for financial crises as they opened their doors to 1.4 million learners joining Form One.
KUPPET officials had earlier threatened to shut down schools if the government does not receive money in one week.
KUPPET’s Deputy Secretary-General, Moses Nthurima, expressed concern over the financial struggles faced by school administrators, noting that many schools are grappling with the lack of funds to operate effectively.
“Since schools opened for the new year, the government has not disbursed the necessary funds. Many schools are already facing serious financial challenges, including paying suppliers, contractors, workers, and student accommodation,” Nthurima said.
He added that school heads are burdened with accumulating debts, while the government continues to make public statements about learners finding money in school accounts.
Additionally, some 1.2 million learners will also join Junior Secondary School (JSS) as they transit from primary school under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
On Monday Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Belio Kipsang had assured schools that they will receive money by Friday a promise school heads say the money has not hit the school accounts.
“We want to assure our schools that the funds have been released. It is a process because of systems, the funds will be in the accounts by Wednesday or Friday latest,”
The ministry in early January had indicated that Sh31 billion had been set aside for capitation to schools.
Out of the total funds, Sh4.74 billion will go towards Free Primary Education with Sh7.60 billion being capitation for JSSs for term one.
Some Sh2.80 billion is meant for school examination and invigilation fees while Sh16.20 has been factored in for Free Day Secondary School.