An estimate of 1.2 million form one students are yet to benefit from the government’s free education capitation kitty. The County Times has revealed that in the two disbursements to secondary schools of Sh 3,877.34 the students two months after they reported to schools have not been considered for allocation by the Ministry of Education.
The secondary school principals say the details of the students were transmitted to the Ministry through the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). The heads say in the disbursement affected in January and March this year, the form ones were not factored in.
Through the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha), the heads are demanding the ministry of education explain why it used the details in the Nemis that were captured on November 9, last year.
The secondary school principals explained that the capitation remitted per students in form two, three and four countrywide is at Sh8,319,38 instead of the expected Sh11,122 at the end of the first term.
A principal who sought anonymity said the amount remitted to school was below the expectation, and that could not pay salaries for the supporting staff engaged by the institutions.
” The heads are faced with challenges as the creditors troop in the schools once the government publicise remittance of the capitation.Due to the limited resources many of the businesspersons have stopped supplying goods to the learning institutions,” said a head.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) Acting Chairman Mr Willy Kuria said due to lack of resources to run the schools, the heads were forced to close their institutions early as they have been unable to pay their electricity and water bills.
“Procurement of learning materials is a mirage as the amount allocated to schools is hardly enough to run the schools after the parents were warned against paying extra levies by the politicians,” he said.