- The National Assembly’s Education Committee led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly said the State Department of Basic Education received KSh 54 billion against a KSh 74 billion budget
- Melly noted the government should have paid KSh 22,224 as capitation for every student, but the schools only got KSh 17,000 per head
- Willy Kuria, the chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), said headteachers were forced to send students home
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Japhet Ruto, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than eight years of specialised expertise in reporting on finance, business, and technology, delivering in-depth perspectives on economic trends in Kenya and globally.
Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) have approved imposition of additional charges on parents in all public schools nationwide.
Why MPs approved additional school fees
This comes after principals and head teachers expressed worry that primary, junior, and secondary schools were underfunded by the National Treasury.
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According to the Education Committee led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, the State Department of Basic Education received KSh 54 billion from the National Treasury, out of a KSh 74 billion budget.
The legislator noted the government should have paid KSh 22,224 as capitation for every student, but the schools only got KSh 17,000 per head.
So far, he revealed schools had not received KSh 11,000 per head, leaving institutions grappling with financial strain.
This emerged during a meeting with the Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang where lawmakers discussed the 2024/2025 financial year supplementary estimates.
“Schools currently receive KSh 17,000 per student, but KSh 11,000 has been sent instead. This is far less than KSh 22,224, which is sufficient for capitation,” Melly stated.
What MPs told PS Kipsang
Peter Orero (Kibra), Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba), Nabii Nabwera (Lugari), Eve Obara (Kabondo Kasipul), Christine Ombaka (Siaya woman representative), and Dick Maungu (Luanda) were among the other MPs who attended the meeting.
They asked PS Kipsang to consistently ensure that the schools receive enough funding to avoid disruptions.
“Let the school heads be allowed to charge extra fees so that they can plug the deficit,” Kibra MP Orero said.
Why learners were sent home
The MPs’ concerns were made just a day after Willy Kuria, the chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), stated that headteachers were forced to send students home.
“We never wanted to make that decision. No matter how little the balance, principals are forced to send pupils home for money. This will keep institutions afloat and operational,” Kuria said.
PS Kipsang also regretted that the junior secondary schools were experiencing similar capitation issues, as they only received KSh 30 billion out of a required KSh 46 billion, resulting in a funding gap of KSh 16 billion.
What government said earlier on fees
In January, Julius Ogamba, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education, cautioned school administrators against raising tuition fees, stressing that secondary school fees should remain unchanged.
Speaking at Mitihani House in Nairobi on Thursday, January 9, during the announcement of the 2024 KCSE results, CS Ogamba said that school heads found to have charged unapproved fees would be disciplined.
Parents voiced concerns regarding new fees that certain schools have implemented, such as improvement levies and development fees, exceeding KSh 5,000.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
