• The suppliers want the government to disburse funds to secondary schools.
• The suppliers say delayed payment has caused them to accrue huge debts with financial institutions and main dealers.
A group of secondary schools' suppliers have asked the government to pay them debts amounting to Sh1.2 billion accrued since the beginning of the year.
The suppliers, who spoke to journalists at Kenol on Tuesday, said schools have not been able to pay because of delayed disbursement of free secondary education funds from the national government.
The situation was further compounded by the Covid-19 outbreak that led to the closure of schools in March.
Joel Wanderi said since then, the government has not released funds meant for the second term to enable schools to clear arrears owed to over 300 suppliers.
“We have been keeping the schools running with supplies ranging from laboratory chemicals, detergents, stationery, revision materials, desks and foodstuffs,” Wanderi said.
He said due to the failure by schools to pay them, they were forced to send their workers on unpaid leave.
Wanderi said as the government puts in place measures to cushion Kenyans from the effects of the coronavirus, it should consider thousands of people who depend on schools.
Most of the items supplied, he said, are acquired from main dealers on credit and that the delayed payment has caused them to accrue heavy debts.
“We understand that the pandemic has affected all sectors but if the government considers releasing funds to schools then we will be able to pay these debts and sustain ourselves and our workers,” Wanderi said.
Josphine Wanjiku said thousands of subordinate staff have gone unpaid since the schools closed as they are not in the government’s payroll.
“These workers depend on the funds disbursed to schools to survive and the money has not been forthcoming,” she said.
Failure by the government to release the funds, Wanjiku said, will lead to the auctioning of their property by creditors.
Samuel Muya, another supplier, appealed to the government to address their plight.
“Some of the supplies we deliver are asked for on short notice, and we get them from the main dealers with the promise of paying for them as soon as possible,” he said.
Muya further noted that some opt to take loans from banks and saccos to deliver the supplies.
“We are appealing to Education CS George Magoha to listen to us and lessen our suffering,” he said.
Edited by A.N