Teachers threaten to strike in April over Sh54 billion capitation debt

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers  has threatened to lead a teachers strike at the beginning of second term over capitation issues. . 

Kuppet secretary general Akelo Misori said schools will not open in second term unless the Sh54 billion owed to schools in capitation is paid. 

"I am telling you we shall not open schools next term," Misori said. 

Second term begins on April 29. 

"We want by the time we open in second term, the entire Sh54 billion debt in capitation should in the school accounts," he said. 

They opposed the recent budgetary cuts in the Ministry of Education, particularly the reduction of secondary school capitation from Sh22,224 to Sh 17, 000 per learner. 

Misori said the State ought to consider sectors where budget cuts should not be implemented. 

Misori on Wednesday while addressing the press said this is not the time to institute cuts to the education budget.

"The cuts are being rationalised on the increased number of learners in secondary schools due to the 100 per cent transition from the primary level," he said. 

"Kuppet rejects that rationale since the 100 percent transition policy is now in its sixth year." 

He said the budget cuts coincide with increased delays in the disbursement of the funds which Parliament has properly appropriated for schools.

"As we speak, the government has disbursed only Sh3,877 per learner to schools, instead of the Sh11,122 that the institutions should have received for the first term,"  he claimed. 

Misori said the institutions are finding it hard to meet their daily obligations including utility bills, payment of non-teaching staff and purchase of learning materials. 

He said in some areas including Nyeri, several schools have been dragged to the Small Claims Court because of pending bills. 

"At a time when Kenya is recording double-digit growth in tax revenues, and allocations for renovations and foreign travel are gobbling billions of shillings, how can the government possibly not afford to allocate the resources needed to maintain the current level of capitation?" he posed. 

Misori called on President William Ruto to increase capitation for schools. 

"Given the multifaceted cuts to Education this year, Kuppet believes that only President William Ruto can avert further damage. For that reason, we appeal directly to the President to stop the haemorrhage in the Education budget," he said. 

The Kuppet boss said Kenyans are witnessing the most ambitious rollback of social spending since independence.

He said the scale of cuts to the Education budget by the current government has no parallels in history.

Additionally, he noted that earlier this year, the government discontinued the EduAfya medical insurance for public school children.

The EduAfya programme, which was underwritten by the National Hospital Insurance Fund insured approximately 3.5 million students for four years for Sh10 billion.

Misori said its discontinuation, without any subsisting replacement, has affected millions of students.