Teachers Issue 7-Day Strike Notice Over Delayed School Capitation
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) is questioning the school funding scheme, which has resulted in a deficit and jeopardised institutional operations.
Kuppet gave the government a seven-day deadline to release the funds owed to schools in a statement on Wednesday.
The union noted that instead of the projected Sh11,122 for the first term, the government only provided Sh3,877 per school.
The Kuppet Secretary General, Akello Misori, voiced worry about the delayed release of capitation, which has resulted in derision and charges of bad leadership against head teachers. Misori chastised the government for reducing school spending, which contradicted the principle of free and compulsory education.
Misori also emphasised the negative consequences of the situation, such as suppliers suing schools over outstanding invoices.
Kuppet has warned of a potential teacher strike when schools reopen for the second term. The union has threatened to interrupt the reopening of institutions if the government fails to deliver capitation monies. The last teachers’ strike happened in 2015.
Recently, headteachers and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) expressed worry about the school sector’s issue, citing insufficient funding.
Dr. Kipsang told Members of Parliament that just 25% of the cash had been issued, with the remainder expected within the next 10 days.
Misori from Kuppet questioned the government’s decision to not disburse funds previously used for student medical insurance, advocating for their redirection to schools.
Misori also criticised the Ministry of Education for keeping cash for multiple activities and lowering capitation funds.
The Ministry of Education admitted on Monday that there is a Sh22 billion budget shortage, despite a large growth in student enrollment over the last six years.
The government had to reduce capitation from Sh22,224 to about Sh17,000 to close the funding deficit, resulting in a Sh5,000 shortfall per student.
According to Kipsang, the stagnating education budget has compounded the situation, with the government allocating a flat rate of Sh54 billion for capitation for the previous six years.
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However, Kipsang indicated that negotiations with the National Assembly Committee on Education are underway to address the deficit, with the remaining money set aside in the 2024–2025 budget allocation.
The chairman of Kuppet, Omboko Milemba, encouraged the ministry to make its case for full capitation to Parliament in order to secure deficit funding.
In order to reduce anomalies, Milemba also called for an assessment of the student population in public schools, citing instances of “ghost students” who registered for tests but could not be located during the exam period.
Furthermore, Milemba expressed concerns about the Nemis education management system, which has led to the denial of financing to some students due to technical issues.
Teachers Issue 7-Day Strike Notice Over Delayed School Capitation
