The delay by the Ministry of Education to disburse capitation funds to public schools and the rising of commodity prices has resulted to a crisis as school heads struggle to run the institutions.
The situation has been worsened by the inability of many parents to pay school fees in full as many households struggle economically.
Apart from food, the cost of electricity and fuel has also risen, keeping in mind that many schools use diesel to run generators and petrol for their vehicles.
Some school heads said there is risk of unrest if the delay persists as debtors and suppliers keep knocking and the institutions run out of food and other supplies.
“Suppliers have not been paid and the situation is dire. As a union, we are calling on Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to stop everything else he is doing and prioritize the disbursement of funds within the next three days, otherwise, schools will be forced to close,” said KUPPET boss Omboko Milemba earlier.
However, National Parents Association Chairperson Silas Obuhatsa opposed the closure of schools because parents are also starving at home.
“It’s easier to manage pupils in school than at home. We don’t support the closure of schools before the right calendar date,” he said.
This financial delay continues despite the promise by Machogu on May 30 when he stated that the capitation funds would be released by Friday, June 2.
As a result of the government’s failure to fulfill its commitment, students and teachers are grappling with inadequate resources, deteriorating infrastructure, and compromised learning environments.
By Thuita Jaswant
Get more stories from our website: Education News
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
