The Ministry of Education has been questioned on how they settled on Sh15,042 to be the capitation for Grade 7 learners.
According to 2022/2023 supplementary budget estimates there is an allocation of Sh9.6 billion to cater for 1.2 million Grade 7 learners.
"The committee was concerned that proper costing was not undertaken to arrive at the per capita allocation and the parameters considered to the figure," the report reads.
While submitting the estimates to the committee, Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang noted that the Grade 7 capitation requirement is Sh19.1 billion.
"The capitation requirement for terms I and II will be Sh15.7 billion. Therefore, the total requirement is Sh34.9 billion," Kipsang said.
He said the amount was arrived at, after consultation with an international agency.
"In 2020, we had signed a consultancy with World Bank to see how will fund Grade 7, notwithstanding domiciling," Kipsang said.
He said the tentative figure, was Sh18,600 but the ministry settled on Sh15,042.
Previously, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu had explained how the ministry arrived at the figure.
“We worked on a figure which is closer to that of senior secondary school and the President accepted,” Machogu said.
He clarified that the government disbursed Sh9.6 billion capitation for all the 1.26 million Grade 7 learners.
“President William Ruto has directed that the National Treasury set aside Sh15,000 per learner as capitation to facilitate free learning in all public schools,” Machogu said.
This applies to primary schools, which only have the day schooling category, even as the state prefers learners to be day scholars.
But boarding primary schools will be allowed to charge boarding fees and other levies.
For a smooth transition, school management will set a difference between junior secondary and primary school learners.
This led to a directive to have Grade 7 learners wear different uniforms.
The directive will implement a secondary-level tradition despite being in primary school.
