School heads and principals in Kakamega County are urging the government to release funds urgently to keep learning on track.
Most schools are grappling with debts and unfinished projects, with the government, through the Ministry of Education, warning them against sending learners home to collect funds.
While addressing the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Basic Education, Professor Ambassador Julius Bitok, during the Kakamega North Sub-County Education Day, Emily Mito, a KNUT National Executive Council Member and Head Teacher of Matioli Comprehensive School, voiced the frustrations faced by schools due to underfunding by the Ministry of Education.
She noted that the lack of adequate funding has made it nearly impossible to run and manage school programmes, forcing many institutions to seek alternative ways to keep learners in school.
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“We are working across the board to prepare our Grade 9 students for the Kenya junior secondary education assessment (KJSEA) and later be able to be accommodated in Grade 10 at the secondary level, and we are committed to seeing our struggles bear fruit. But the elephant in the room is delayed funding from the government, which has destabilised the learning process. We hope that now that you are here, you will present our grievances to the government, as the struggles many of us are facing, managing a cashless institution, have left many with depression and other ailments. Let the government release the remaining percentage before the closure of schools this term to enable us to start the third term normally,” she requested.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), represented by its Kakamega North sub-county chairperson and principal of Friends Malava Girls Rose Abuko, reminded the PS, Bitok, to follow up on the request they presented during their annual national conference on the coast.
“Government funding is key for ensuring that the Kenyan learner gets quality education. We speak our sub county has six has received funds for the Transitional Infrastructural Grants (TIG) which is meant to improve infrastructure.
The funds were also meant to support the construction of new classrooms to accommodate more students and increase enrollment. However, out of the 53 schools in the region, only six received funding, and their projects have since stalled due to a lack of funds. The schools are now appealing to the Ministry of Education to assist in completing these projects so that students can begin using the facilities,” she said.
Abuko also requested the faster allocation of funds to schools to settle their pending bills once the treasury releases the money to the ministry.
Our suppliers are on our necks, and many have stopped doing business with us due to the enormous debts we owe them. It is only through these funds that we will be able to offset our school bills.
She said they were all prepared to absorb Grade 10 learners as long as the government also releases funds on time.
By Wakhungu Andanje
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