- Dr. Daniel Yumbya has raised concern over delayed capitation funding ahead of schools reopening next week.
- He has linked the shortfall to rising tension between parents and school heads, some of whom have sent students home over unpaid fees.
- Yumbya has urged the government to release the funds urgently before reopening to ease pressure on principals and parents.
Schools across the country risk starting the third term without adequate funds after the government delayed releasing capitation ahead of reopening next week, a situation education stakeholders warn could strain relations between parents and administrators.
Machakos senatorial candidate Dr. Daniel Yumbya has raised concern over the delay, saying it leaves principals and headteachers without the resources needed to meet basic operational costs as institutions prepare to welcome learners back to school.
Yumbya said the shortfall in government disbursement is increasingly being passed on to parents, with some school heads compelled to send students home over unpaid fees in order to keep their institutions running.
“When the government delays capitation, the burden is eventually transferred to parents and school heads. This is creating unnecessary tension and confusion in our schools,” Yumbya said.
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He noted that the standoff is emerging at a particularly difficult time, with the third term being unusually short and parents already stretched financially.
“It is the third term and it is very short. Parents are already struggling, and asking them to fill the gap created by delayed capitation only adds to their burden,” he said.
Yumbya argued that school administrators should be able to focus on delivering quality education rather than being consumed by financial constraints arising from delayed government support.
He called on the government to expedite the release of the funds before schools reopen, saying timely disbursement would give principals and headteachers a firmer footing to plan for the new term.
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“The government must act urgently and release the capitation before reopening. Our children should not be caught up in disputes between parents and school administrators because of a problem that can be addressed by timely funding,” Yumbya said.
By Agnes Orang’o
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