School heads under the Kenya Comprehensive Schools Heads Association (KECSHA), Mumias East chapter, have expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Education following the disbursement of Term Two capitation funds, terming the amount released as inadequate.
In a circular issued by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Amb. Julius Bitok, and addressed to Regional and County Directors of Education, Schools received KSh 93 per learner, an amount that has sparked concern among institutional heads.
Speaking on behalf of the association, KECSHA Mumias East Sub-county Chairperson, Mr Peter Busolo, described the allocation as insufficient to effectively run school programs this term.
“It is going to be difficult to run schools this term. There are numerous academic and co-curricular activities planned, and with such limited capitation, it is unclear how we will manage,” said Busolo.
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He further noted that the disbursement does not align with the government’s 50-30-20 funding model, adding that the amount released is not even 10 percent of the expected allocation.
According to Busolo, several key programs are now at risk, including Competency-Based Education (CBE) assessments, uploading of project results to the KNEC portal, and teacher capacity-building initiatives.
“The CBE dream will not be realized effectively under the current funding constraints,” he added.
The funding shortfall is also expected to disrupt Co-curricular activities, with schools likely to scale down or drop some sports disciplines altogether—a move that could negatively impact learners and games teachers.
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School heads now face the challenge of bridging the deficit, with Boards of Management expected to explore alternative funding mechanisms. However, this presents another hurdle, as many parents believe that the government fully funds education, making additional financial requests contentious.
Busolo has urged relevant education stakeholders to escalate the matter to the Cabinet Secretary for Education for urgent intervention.
By Victor Ngecho
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