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Image: George Murage
A section of MPs are calling for investigations into the disbursement of capitation to junior secondary schools across the country.
The legislators from the Budget and Appropriations Committee have alleged some unregistered schools benefiting at the expense of registered ones.
This emerged when members of the committee visited Gilgil town for a public hearing session on the 2024-25 proposed financial budget.
Gilgil MP Martha Wangari said learning in some of the schools had been disrupted after their funds were diverted to ‘briefcase’ institutions.
While calling on the Education CS to act, she said due to the current impasse, many of the schools could not pay their workers or procure required learning materials and food.
“We are deeply concerned by the fraud in the issuance of capitation funds to public schools and are calling on the government to crack the whip on all those involved,” the MP said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Wangari said public schools were adversely affected by low funding from the state, leading to few classes against rising number of students.
“In Gilgil, we have classes holding more than 100 students and we are seeking more in budgetary allocation to address the current status of infrastructure in the education sector,” she said.
The MP decried the status of infrastructure in the constituency, following the heavy rains that had washed away major roads and bridges.
“We hope that the government will release emergency funds to repair damages caused by the rains, with some schools flooded and others washed away,” she said.
Nyeri Woman Rep Rahab Mukami said the committee will from next week work on a supplementary budget targeting emergency funds for infrastructure damaged by the rains.
“In the supplementary budget we shall be giving flooded schools, damaged roads and the elderly first priority as we seek emergency funds to address current challenges,” she said.
Her Baringo counterpart Florence Jematiah said they had visited 11 counties where it emerged that issues of education and infrastructure were the main challenges facing residents.
“The floods have left a trail of destruction and the supplementary budget will look into this while counties like Nakuru will get an extra Sh100 million for various projects,” she promised.
The chairman of Kenya Primary School Head Teachers Association (Kepsha) in Gilgil Joshua Mutahi said infrastructure in public schools in the area needed rehabilitation.