The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (KUPPET) wants the Ministry of Education (MoE) to withdraw a circular issued to schools recently saying that Ksh10B did not actually reach the institutions as stated.

This comes after the Principal Secretary (PS) for Basic Education Belio Kipsang’ on September 19,2023, issued a circular to all County Directors of Education (CDEs) instructing them to demand accountability for money received in schools in their jurisdictions.

“KUPPET urges the Government to withdraw the Circular, to disburse the long-delayed funds to schools and take maximum care against possible disruptions to the school calendar at this critical time,” KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori said.

In a statement released yesterday, the union boss stated that the total amount of Ksh3,449.50 per learner has been retained by the Ministry and remitted to KICD,CEMASTEA and NHIF from the Operations Account to cater for the medical insurance (EduAfya) of secondary school learners, stressing that Principals cannot account for over Ksh10 billion which they did not receive.

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“Ironically, it demands that Principals confirm receipt of such monies and account for them. Moreover, it directs the County Directors of Education to obtain receipts from Principals for Ksh4,002.87 per learner for the third term of 2023, when only Ksh3,187.87 per learner was remitted to schools,” he stated.

Further, Misori said that MoE owes secondary schools in the country Ksh19 billion. He noted that the Ministry owes schools Ksh905 per learner for the last Financial Year (FY) which ended June 30,2023,and a further Ksh5,561 per learner for the first quarter of the current FY 2023/2024.

Misori stated that schools have not received any capitation funds for this term,adding that the Ksh3,187 remitted on September 19,2023, partially offset the arrears owed from the previous FY.

“For the avoidance of doubt,information from Principals indicates that schools have not received any capitation funds for the third term of 2023,” he said.

According to KUPPET, in FY 2022/2023,schools received Ksh4,289 per learner in the first quarter released on July 27,2022;while in the second quarter Principals received Ksh4,485 per student on October 5,2022.In the third quarter, a total of Ksh4,413 per learner was released on January 26,2023.

In the fourth quarter,MoE released Ksh4,147 per learner on June 14, 2023; while in the first quarter of this FY, a total of Ksh4,002 per learner was released to schools on September 19,2023;making the cumulative funds received by Principals per learner Ksh21,338.

School heads can now breathe easy after the Education ministry on Friday announced it will next week release Sh16 billion for capitation.

This comes after headteachers and principals on  Thursday intimated that the institutions were under a financial impasse that threatened to disrupt the examination preparations.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang on Friday indicated that the monies will be appropriated as follows: Junior School will receive Sh1,75B while primary schools will get Sh1,56B.

The bulk of the funds will go to funding secondary schools under the Free Day Secondary Education, the institutions will receive Sh16.24B.

“To ensure normal running of all school activities, the Ministry of Education has received Sh16,249,982,722.28 Billion as capitation funds from The National Treasury for disbursement to learners in public Primary, Junior and Secondary Schools,” Kipsang stated.

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The PS further indicated that the funds will hit the school accounts by next week.

“The Ministry wishes to assure all schools that the funds will be wired to respective school accounts next week to facilitate smooth delivery of targeted learning activities,” the PS added.

At the same time, the government has banned schools from engaging in any activities within their premises in the third term.

Schools opened for the third term of the 2023 academic calendar on August 28 which is scheduled to run until October 27 to pave the way for the KCPE and KPSEA national  examinations that are slated to begin on October 30.

School heads who spoke to the Standard indicated that the financial crunch threatened to halt operations in the institutions and further put into jeopardy the preparation of the KCPE and KCSE examinations.

Kuppet chairman Omboko Milemba said that he had written to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu seeking for the release of the funds.

He has further called on Parliament to petition the release of the funds.

“I have done two questions to the Parliament through the clerks so that the Cabinet Secretary for Education may come and explain why we have this delay,” Milemba said.