Government To Release School Capitation Funds Next Week

Schools are expected to receive capitation funds to run the institutions from next after the Ministry of Education and National Treasury reached a deal to disperse capitation funds.

According to the State Department of Basic Education, Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang assured the public school principals across the country that the money was available and would be wired to their respective bank accounts without further delays.

The PS Kipsang remarks during the launch of the Sh60 million Uasin Gishu ECDE milk program at the Central primary school playground in Eldoret town which is set to benefit 40,000 learners in the region.

The event hosted by Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii was attended by former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo who is the chairperson of the North Rift Water Works Development Agency.

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Kipsang was reacting to complaints by the principals over the government’s delay to release capitation funds noting that the move was threatening to ground the running of the institutions.

The principals complained that they have not received the free day secondary education capitation funds for the second term and that the situation was compounded by the failure of some parents to pay school fees.

According to Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairperson Indimuli Kahi, the principals observed that schools were in debt and surviving on the mercy of suppliers.

“If the suppliers get tired of waiting for payment and refuse to supply, schools will be grounded,” Kahi said.

According to Kahi, schools opened last week for the second term which he observed is the longest in the school calendar. During the term, students in Form Four undertake mock examinations as they prepare for KCSE exams at the end of the year.

Kipsang revealed that the Ministry of Education had distributed 18 million books to grade seven learners to ensure smooth learning in all public schools in the country. On his part, Governor Jonathan Bii said that his administration has put in place measures to ensure the milk program is going to be sustainable.

“My government has put in place adequate measures to ensure this milk feeding program for ECDE pupils is sustainable across the country and there should be cause for worry,” Bii said.

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The learners, he said will be supplied with milk twice a week noting that their aim is to attract more enrollment and retain the learners in ECDE.

The government allocates Sh22,244 per student under the free day secondary education program. Previously, this would be disbursed in three tranches in the ratio of 50:30:20. However, after the school calendar was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, schools have been receiving the money in four quarters.

Last term, schools had an allocation of Sh4,413 per student but received only Sh3,706. For the third term last year, the allocation per student was Sh4,485.