Schools across the country may soon face serious disruptions after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers raised concern over the government’s delay in releasing capitation funds.
The union has warned that without urgent action from the Treasury, public schools could be forced into early closure, leaving thousands of learners without a proper environment for study.
During a press briefing on Sunday, August 31, KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba highlighted the difficulties schools are currently facing because the Ministry of Education has failed to release the money in good time.
He said many institutions are already struggling to keep their doors open as principals grapple with unpaid utility bills, halted feeding programs, and lack of basic teaching and learning materials.
He added that the Treasury must act immediately and release the funds by Monday, September 1, to prevent schools from shutting down before mid-term.
Milemba reminded the government that similar delays in previous terms had already pushed some schools into early closure.
“In the first term, many schools were shut down because there was no money. We want the government to act responsibly by releasing capitation funds so that learners can continue their education without disruptions.” he said.
According to him, this pattern is becoming a threat to the education sector as schools cannot plan effectively without reliable and timely disbursement of funds.
The union also demanded an upward review of the current capitation allocation per student, saying the government had reduced it from KSh 22,200 to KSh 16,900.
Milemba stressed that the cut is making it even harder for principals to run institutions since costs of operation have gone up while resources continue to shrink.
KUPPET wants the amount revised upward to reflect the real cost of managing schools today, especially with increased enrollment and higher expenses in utilities and supplies.
Their concerns come only a few days after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi assured the public that the government was in the process of releasing KSh 23 billion to schools.
Mbadi said the Treasury was mobilizing resources and that part of the allocation would also cover national examinations scheduled for later in the year as well as additional funding for the Higher Education Loans Board.
However, KUPPET has maintained that schools cannot afford further delays since their operations are already crippled.
The situation paints a worrying picture for parents, teachers, and learners as the new term progresses. If the government fails to meet the union’s deadline, many schools may not survive beyond the next few weeks.
For now, all eyes remain on the Treasury to see whether it will act quickly enough to ease the mounting pressure facing public education and prevent another crisis that could keep thousands of children out of classrooms.