School Heads Warn of Disruption to Education Due to Delayed Funding
A looming crisis threatens to send countless students home as early as next week, following the government’s failure to release necessary capitation funds.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) has voiced its frustration over the ongoing delays in funding for the second term, which has left schools in a precarious financial situation.
With over Ksh21 billion still unallocated, many institutions are struggling under the weight of growing debts, forcing them to make tough choices regarding resource distribution.
During a press conference on Saturday, May 3, school leaders highlighted how the funding holdup has begun to destabilize their operations, impacting everything from administrative functions to the upkeep of vital facilities.
“When government funding is delayed, it disrupts our services. For instance, we struggle to pay our suppliers on time, which can lead to interruptions in their deliveries,” explained one head teacher.
“This funding lag can also hinder our schools’ performance. We urge the government to expedite the release of capitation funds to our institutions.”
This announcement comes just a day after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba revealed plans to allocate Ksh21 billion in capitation to public schools next week.
Speaking at the Naivasha Education Conference on May 2, Ogamba emphasized that these funds are crucial for school leaders as they prepare for the new term that commenced on Monday.
He attributed the delays in fund disbursement to the government’s limited financial resources, noting that approximately 30 percent of the national budget is typically earmarked for education.
“Some government-funded initiatives are quite expensive, which has occasionally caused us to fall behind in releasing capitation to schools,” Ogamba acknowledged.
Additionally, the Education Cabinet Secretary cautioned school heads against imposing extra charges, reinforcing that the Ministry prohibits such practices.
The ongoing delays in these essential funds have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of public education, particularly as the government faces challenges in rolling out the Competency-Based Education system.
