Sunday, November 3, 2024 – Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba
has blamed his Treasury counterpart John Mbadi for the mess in his Ministry, claiming it has hindered his ability to perform effectively.
While appearing before the
Senate, CS Migos claimed that the Treasury owes his ministry Ksh59 billion
in capitation arrears, noting that the discrepancy was crippling learning
in public schools.
He stated that for almost five
years, the Ministry of Education has fallen short of the approved capitation
rate for primary, junior secondary, and secondary school learners.
The CS added that the delayed
disbursement by the Treasury has affected 1,424 learners in primary,
1,542 learners in junior secondary, and 22,244 learners in secondary school,
presenting insurmountable challenges to the Ministry.
CS Migos also indicated that
learning is affected in the schools experiencing such challenges, dealing a big
blow to the performances and quality of teaching.
He noted that school heads in
the affected schools are faced with huge hurdles when it comes to ensuring the
smooth running of the learning institutions.
“When you do not give enough
money to the schools, there is evidence that the quality and performance of
some of the schools may fall below the required standards because it becomes
very difficult for the headteachers to run the school,” he told the Senate.
While responding to
queries about the allocation and utilization of capitation funds for schools, the CS said that the funds being released by the Exchequer were not proportionate to
the increasing number of enrolling students.
Migos notes that despite the
Ministry changing the distribution strategy to release funds promptly,
secondary school heads still decry the inadequate funds.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
