School Heads Accuse Govt of Withholding Funds Since 2019 Amidst Frustration Over Capitation Directive
Confusion has gripped secondary school head teachers following a directive from the Ministry of Education instructing them to acknowledge the receipt of Sh8,319 as first term capitation funds per student.
According to reports, the head teachers claim to have received only Sh4,100 instead of the expected Sh8,319, leading to frustration among school administrators.
In response to the directive from Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, the head teachers have expressed their refusal to comply, asserting that they can only account for the amount they actually received, which is Sh4,100.
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In a circular dated January 17 and transmitted through the County Directors of Education, the Ministry urged the head teachers to confirm receipt of the funds within a two-week period.
The circular further warned that failure to comply would result in the suspension of future grants to the concerned schools.
The head teachers, organized under the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, which boasts a membership of 9,300, have taken their grievances to social media platforms.
They allege that the government is holding back Sh64 billion, funds that have not been disbursed to schools since 2019, resulting in substantial debts for educational institutions.
Willy Kuria, the National Chairman of the Heads Association and Principal of Murang’a High School, stated that the head teachers could only confirm receiving Sh4,100 out of the expected Sh10,000 from the Ministry of Education.
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Kuria emphasized that the government’s budget of Sh22,400 per student per year is not being adequately remitted.
Addressing the concerns raised by the teachers, the Ministry of Education issued an updated circular, acknowledging that a second disbursement of the capitation funds was in progress.
The circular clarified that head teachers were required to acknowledge both the first and second tranches in term one, constituting 50 percent of the total funds.
In response to accusations by the head teachers, the Ministry explained that the allocation per student was determined based on information captured in Nemis on November 9 of the previous year.
Njenga Gathige, the principal of Muthithi Secondary School in Kigumo, criticized the Ministry, stating that it was ethically incorrect to pressure head teachers into acknowledging funds they had not received.
The Ministry’s breakdown also revealed that out of the Sh8,319 remitted, Sh565 was retained for SMASS, textbooks, and co-curricular activities.
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School Heads Accuse Govt of Withholding Funds Since 2019 Amidst Frustration Over Capitation Directive
