Relief as 4 special schools in Elgeyo-Marakwet receive Ksh800, 000 allocated seven years ago

Four special schools in Kapchemutwa Ward, Keiyo North Sub-County,Elgeyo Maraket County have heaved a sigh of relief after finally receiving Ksh800,000 that had remained unused in the county government’s accounts for seven years.

It is reported that the funds were originally allocated in 2018 during a public participation exercise where residents proposed budgetary allocations for development projects in the ward.

Each of the four institutions— Iten School for the Visually Impaired, Bugar Special School, Mindililwo Special School, and Kobil Special School—was set to receive Ksh200,000.

However, despite the allocation, the funds remained dormant in the county accounts for several financial years.

Kapchemutwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Stephen Cheruiyot attributed the delay to the absence of a legal framework governing capitation funds for Early Childhood Development (ECD) learners.

“The controller of budget cannot release funds if there is no law to appropriate money to a certain vote,” said Cheruiyot.

Relief and excitement were evident among school administrators and local leaders after the institutions finally received their cheques from the county government on Friday.

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Cheruiyot thanked the county assembly for passing the capitation policy that now allows county funds to be disbursed to schools, including ECDE centres, Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), and special schools.

“The passage of this policy will now enable residents in other wards to allocate funds from the county budget to support such institutions,” he said.

Speaking during the cheque handover ceremony, County Director for Education in charge of ECDE Paul Tenoi said the county government remains committed to ensuring that all children, including those with special needs, have access to education.

He noted that part of the funds will support learners’ health through the school feeding programme.

“The funds will also support implementation of the curriculum through the provision of instructional materials and teacher training to align them with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC),” Tenoi said.

He added that the county has already been supporting special schools with learning equipment.

“Recently, we gave Kobil Special School adaptive devices which included darts, balls, computers and seats,” he said.

Tenoi further said the county government has ensured all ECDE centres are disability-compliant to provide a conducive learning environment for children with special needs.

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Bugar Special School head teacher Emmy Ayabei urged the county government to consider constructing shelter workshops in schools such as Mindililwo and Kobil that cater for mentally challenged learners.

“The workshops will assist the children to learn practical skills which will make them self-reliant,” she said.

She also called on leaders to sensitize parents across the county to enroll children with special needs in schools instead of keeping them at home.

“Special schools have trained experts who can help these children cope with life,” she added.

Iten School for the Visually Impaired chairman Charles Chemolin welcomed the funds, saying they will help sustain the school’s operations.

“Most of the children in this school come from very humble backgrounds and therefore do not pay school fees,” he said.

Cheruiyot also revealed that there are other funds allocated for youth programmes that have not yet been utilized, adding that he will lobby the county assembly to pass the necessary legislation to enable the money to be released to beneficiaries.

By KIMUTAI LANGAT