State, teachers differ over Sh19bn capitation funds

Education CS Julius Ogamba during the release of the 2024 KCSE examinations results at Mitihani house in Nairobi on January 9,2025.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group

The national government and teachers have differed over claims that Sh19 billion capitation funds had been disbursed to schools.

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba said the Treasury had sent the initial amount, as he assured head teachers and principals that the government will address other pending challenges in a fortnight.

Speaking at Umoja Comprehensive School, Mombasa County during an inspection, the CS said an initial Sh19 billion was disbursed to Basic Education institutions on January 22, 2025.

“...We were supposed to receive Sh48 billion but we were able to receive Sh19 billion on January 22, which has been disbursed to schools. Another Sh15 billion will be disbursed tomorrow (January 24),” said Mr Ogamba.

But Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association National Chairman Willy Kuria differed with the CS' position. In an interview with Nation, Mr Kuria said schools are yet to receive the funds. He added that the said Sh19 billion is also less than what schools were expecting as capitation.

“So how much has been disbursed per student? The money is less than half of what we expected, more so it will be gobbled up by the debts by the time it lands in our accounts,” said Mr Kuria.

Mr Kuria said a number of schools had already sent students home due to school fees.

“We are not happy sending children home, we want them to stay in school to study,” said the Muranga High School Chief Principal.
The Sh48 billion is 50 per cent of the capitation due to schools this Academic Year.

Mr Ogamba said the Treasury will complete the disbursement of the whole amount (Sh48 billion) within two weeks to ensure schools have enough resources.

“We are asking head teachers not to send children home because funds are coming to their accounts. But those who are banking with KCB have already received capitation for Junior Secondary Schools,” he added.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) National Chairman, Mr Willy Kuria differed with the CS' position.

In an interview with Nation. Africa, Mr Kuria said schools are yet to receive the funds.

He added that the said Sh19 billion is also less than what schools were expecting as capitation.

“So how much has been disbursed per student? The money is less than half of what we expected, more so it will be gobbled up by the debts by the time it lands in our accounts,” said Mr Kuria.

When schools reopened for First Term, the CS explained that the capitation will be disbursed as Free Primary Education (Sh4,127,304,081.00), Free Day Junior School Education (Sh15,327,846,478.60) and Free Day Secondary School Education (Sh28,924,649,468.76).

In Term Two, schools are supposed to receive 30 percent of the capitation, while the balance of 20 percent will be disbursed in Term Three.

In a National Secondary School at the Coast region, there is a go slow from the non-teaching staff and Board of Management teachers due to salary arrears accrued from last year.

The chief principal had promised to ensure the more than 20 workers are paid once schools reopen.

“It’s now three weeks since we reopened and there’s no money in our accounts. What will I pay them with? I have been forced to hide and let the deputy take charge because I can no longer tell more lies. I am in anguish,” said the chief principal.

Another administrator said the school has been taking food on credit from local suppliers with the debt pilling every day.

The situation worsened forcing the school to introduce food rationing to the students.

To reduce costs of electricity and water, the principal told Nation. Africa that the students have to bathe once. They have also eliminated early morning and late evening extra studies (preps).

“You cannot tell students, especially boys that there’s no food, they will burn down the school. So for the sake of sanity, I would rather send them home. Why would I keep over 2,000 boys in school and there’s no food, water and electricity was disconnected?” charged another principal.

Another chief principal said parents have refused to pay school fees forcing him to send hundreds of students’ home.

“I am only keeping Form Fours but those who have school fees arrears have all been sent home. I decided to send them home because I was scared they might burn the school,” added the administrator.

“There’s no money, the situation is really bad. I have more than Sh20 million school fees balances and parents are crying that there is no money. Situation is dire. It’s the fourth week. We were expecting Sh7,000 per child so what do we do with the Sh19 billion that is yet to even hit our accounts?" added another principal.

A senior principal told Nation. Africa that day schools are the worst hit.

“Because they totally rely on the capitation funds, leave alone boarding schools where parents chip in. that is why most day schools send children home," the principal said.

A member of the National Assembly education committee, Mr Peter Orero said capitation is the biggest challenge affecting learning in secondary schools.

Mr Orero, an educationist with over 30 years’ experience said during the late President Mwai Kibaki’s reign when Free Day Secondary School was introduced, the state used to inject Sh22,000 capitation per student which enabled the institutions to run smoothly.

“But as we moved on the capitation was reduced to Sh17,000 per student annually. But not all of it is disbursed to schools on time. If we are serious about education, we should make all the day primary and secondary schools free. We must alleviate the lack of funds in our schools,” said Mr Orero.

He said most schools cannot run due to huge debts from suppliers. Mr Orero called budgeting for pending bills for schools.

The Kibra MP said secondary schools have huge pending bills.

“We need to be very intentional and purposeful in our approaches towards solving critical problems facing schools in this country,” said Mr Orero.

The state owes secondary schools over Sh64 billion.

Kessha, urged the state to mitigate the situation by disbursing the Sh64 billion capitation debt accrued over the last four years.

Mr Orero said lack of disbursements has forced principals to borrow or charge extra fees to sustain learning institutions.

“Some principals are in a great dilemma. You are given over 3000 students to manage without funding. What do you think they would do? Of course, ask parents to fill the void. The government must take responsibility,” said the former principal.

He said lack of funding in the secondary schools can cause strikes.

“If there is no food, the students do not understand, they do not know what capitation all is about so they will riot, some even burn schools,” he said during an interview at Citizen TV on Wednesday.

Last week, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi assured school administrators that the capitation funds will be in the school accounts this week to alleviate operational difficulties.

Meanwhile, Mr Ogamba refuted claims by the Senate Education Committee that there is an acute teacher shortage in Junior Secondary Schools.

“That is not true. We have so far employed 76,000 teachers teaching in JSS and retooled others alongside the Teachers Service Commission. We have ensured that in each JSS school, there are enough teachers capable to ensure learning is ongoing,” said Mr Ogamba.

The CS said there are sufficient books in all public schools for every subject being taught in JSS.

“Of course, we have a few challenges but we are working towards increasing more teachers, we recently employed 20,000 teachers who are being processed. These are teachers under sciences where we had a shortfall. It is untrue to say there are no teachers or there is no learning in JSS,” he added.

On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee chairperson Mr Joe Nyutu said there are not enough teachers teaching in JSS.

Mr Nyutu said initial plans were to domicile JSS in secondary schools due to adequate infrastructure including classrooms, laboratories and teachers however they were reverted to the existing primary schools following proposals by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

“Domiciling JSS in primary schools has cost us very many problems. If you look at the current situation, we do not have enough teachers to handle JSS while this year we did not admit form ones, which would tell you there are teachers in secondary schools that are competent to teach JSS but would not because JSS is domiciled in primary schools,” said Mr Nyutu.

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