Opposition chief Raila Odinga has accused President William Ruto of openly deceiving parents, teachers and children in his New Year address.
According to Raila, the truth is that at the end of the 2022/2023 Financial Year (FY), the government fell short of the required funding for education.
“The government’s own data show that there were 3,690,376 learners who needed Ksh82,088,723,744 in funding, but only Ksh64,421,865,698 was approved. This means that Ksh64,412,180,160 was allocated to schools, leaving a deficit of Ksh17,666,883,540,” Raila said
Raila further revealed that in the 2022/2023 Financial Year, the Ruto administration disbursed only Ksh17,339 per child instead of the required Ksh22,244, resulting in a debt of Ksh4,905 per child. The total amount owed to schools from this financial year is Ksh18,101,294,280.
According to Odinga, in the 2023/2024 FY, the Ruto administration disbursed only Ksh3,327.87 per child, which is a mere 14% of the required amount of Ksh.22,244. This means that Ruto owes each child Ksh.18,916.13 or 85% of what is needed.
“The total debt owed to secondary schools is Ksh69,807,632,165. It is unclear whether the reported 14% disbursement has actually been paid. This is a significant discrepancy that needs to be addressed,” he said.
He further clarified that the Kenya Kwanza administration has increased funding for free education.
“In order to ensure that every Kenyan child has the right to access free and compulsory basic education, and to support secondary school students in completing their education, the government initiated the Free Day Secondary Education programme in 2008,” he said.
The prime minister has demanded that the government releases all outstanding funds owed to schools and provide capitation at the approved rate of Ksh22,244 per child for the 2023/2024 FY.
He said in the absence of strong unions advocating for our schools, all Parents Teachers Associations and school Boards of Management (BoMs) across the country must step up and demand fair and equal distribution of education funding.
Odinga also called upon religious leaders and civil society organizations to champion the cause of children, hold the Kenya Kwanza administration accountable, and ensure that school fees are paid to fund the future.
The former Prime Minister (PM) urged members of parliament and county assemblies to prioritize spending on basic and higher education, and compel the government to release public education funding for both primary and secondary levels before schools reopen.
By Amos Kerich
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