Minority Leader of the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi has demanded for immediate release of capitation funds owed to schools, accusing the government of outright lying about the money it has released to schools.
He warned that the empty promises by the Ministry of Education (MoE) are setting up school heads for failure.
In a statement released today March 19, 2024, Wandayi, who is the Ugunja MP, demanded for immediate release of the entire Ksh52.8 billion owed to schools, stating further that payment schedules must be made public to learners.
“The Ministry of Education must immediately cease the habit of withholding part of the school capitation without good reason. As a matter of fact, the current capitation amount was arrived at back in 2017 and must therefore be adjusted upwards to take into account the rising inflation rate,” said Wandayi in the statement.
He called on teachers and parents to stop struggling in fear but speak out boldly for their children whose future is being stolen by the government, adding that neither parents nor the head teachers should cover up for the regime.
“Let it be known to all and sundry that things are not working in the education sector; school heads have run out of ideas to run schools without money; and parents cannot afford the monies that they were in fact promised that the government would cater for,” he said.
According to the legislator, whenever the MoE has come under pressure over disbursement of funds to schools, they assemble the media, put together some figures and announce that the money will be released the following week; which most of the times never gets done, and when it is done, it is never sufficient.
He added that whenever the ministry announces the release of funds, suppliers flood schools, students make demands and PTAs assume all is well.
“The Ministry of Education is running the critical sector by setting up principals for failure and then lying to learners and parents. This must stop,” stated Wandayi.
He added: “We are here to call out the government on the lies that have now crippled schools and exposed otherwise innocent principals and teachers to the wrath of parents and learners who buy into government lies that funds have been released to schools and other learning institutions. The casualties are none other than the millions of Kenyan learners who are staring at a bleak future.”
He stated that in the current financial year, 2023/2024, schools have received only Ksh7,348 out of the required total of Ksh22,244 per learner per annum. Other school officials say the figure disbursed is as low as Ksh3,877 per learner; adding that in any event, whatever the figure, it is way lower than the stipulated Ksh22,244.
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By Hezron Roy
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