Written By Lisa Murimi
Schools across the nation are facing severe disruptions due to the delayed release of essential capitation funds for free primary education.
Extending a month into the second term, this delay has significantly impacted school operations, alarming educators and parents alike.
The government’s annual allocation of Ksh1,420 per primary school pupil has yet to reach many schools, exacerbating financial strain as parents also face delayed fee payments.
This bottleneck has left head teachers in primary and junior secondary schools struggling to manage day-to-day activities, supplement teaching staff, and meet the Competency-Based Curriculum requirements.
Johnson Nzioka, chairperson of the Primary School Heads Association, expressed frustration over the government’s unfulfilled promises.
“What was released was not timely, and it was only a portion of what we are due. We urgently need the Ministry to facilitate the disbursement of these funds to keep our schools operational,” Nzioka stated.
The Free Primary Education (FPE) Capitation Funding Model follows a phased disbursement approach, allocating 50% of funds in the first term, 30% in the second term, and the remaining 20% in the third term.
Despite this structured system, persistent delays have wreaked havoc on school operations.
These funds are crucial for purchasing textbooks, making small repairs, covering administrative costs, and examination expenses.
KEPSHA National Treasurer Kennedy Kyeva highlighted additional issues, noting that some schools have been excluded due to errors in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
“Capitation never reached these schools because they were reportedly missing from their NEMIS records,” Kyeva said.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) also criticized the government’s handling of the situation.
National Secretary General Collins Oyuu lamented the impact on school administrators and called for immediate action. “Our school heads and primary school management are struggling. The late disbursement has not benefited them as intended,” Oyuu stated.
In March, the government released Ksh 7 billion to support junior secondary schools and Ksh 16 billion for the free day secondary school education programme. However, this has done little to alleviate the crisis faced by primary schools.
Educators are urging the government to resolve the impasse swiftly to prevent further disruption. The current situation not only jeopardizes the education of millions but also undermines the government’s commitment to free primary education.
