Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has hit out at the President William Ruto-led government over the alleged failure to disburse all the funds meant for learners in public schools.
In a detailed statement dated Tuesday, January 2, the Azimio la Umoja leader directed the Kenya Kwanza administration to release full capitation.
Raila argued that the full capitation assigned to each student would ease the school fees burden to parents and guardians.
“The government must release all the monies owed to schools. It must release capitation at the approved rate of Ksh22,244 per child for the financial year 2023/ 2024,” Raila demanded.
The Azimio Leader castigated the Kenya Kwanza administration for failing to meet the threshold in 2023. He indicated that the government disbursed Ksh64,421,850,160.01 to secondary schools for the third term in the 2022/2023 financial year against an initial set figure of Ksh82, 088,723,744 for the 3,690,376 learners.
According to Raila, the deficit of Ksh17,666,873,584 owed to the institutions leaving 794,231 students in limbo.
“Ruto owes secondary schools a total of Ksh.69,807,632,165. It is not even clear whether the paltry 14 per cent said to have been disbursed has actually been discharged. There is a big disconnect between what the government says and what is actually implemented,” he stated.
“It is not true that the Kenya Kwanza administration has enhanced any funding for free education. To ensure that every Kenyan child has a right to access free and compulsory basic education and that all students in secondary school are funded to complete their basic education, the government of Kenya began the Free Day Secondary Education programme in 2008, with the granting of capitation per learner.”
He added: “As schools await opening, most parents are struggling with the reality of increased school fees of between Ksh.40,000 and Ksh.90,000 in the fee structures they have received from government secondary schools. The school fees bill is way beyond the reach of most parents.”
To compel Ruto’s administration to support education, Raila urged unions and parent associations to unite and call out his administration.
He also directed the members of parliament to prioritise education reforms and hold the government accountable for the release of funds.
“We appeal to religious leaders and civil society organizations to take up the cause of our children, call out the Kenya Kwanza administration and force it to fund the future by paying school fees,” he said.
“I instruct our members of parliament and county assemblies to prioritize basic and higher education spending. Our legislators must embark on active steps to force the government to release public education funding, both at the Primary and secondary levels before schools resume. Money must reach schools ahead of Monday.”
