Headteachers in Turkana County have threatened to paralyse learning activities starting this week should the government fail to disburse adequate capitation.
Addressing the press on Tuesday at noon, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Chairperson, Turkana branch, Raphael Lotum said that most schools in the region were grappling with huge debts due to insufficient and delayed funding.
He explained that the delays in releasing the capitation will force some school heads to close their institutions and send students home as they wait for the government’s intervention.
According to him, while some schools already received capitation, the amount disbursed to most schools in the region was not enough to cater for their needs including repayment of debts.
“We received the capitation from the government although there were reservations that the disbursement was not the expected amount,” Lotum stated.
“The capitation we received was not the expected amount, we expected to receive 50 per cent of the total amount but we got less than 50 per cent, about 16 per cent that we received,” he added.
His sentiments were backed by Kangitit Girls High School Principal Clare Obenyo who revealed that the team had even appealed to the county government to consider sharing its relief food to ensure learning continues.
“We have tried to maintain students in our institutions but it is becoming hard, we cannot even sustain co-curricular activities at the moment,” the head teacher lamented.
The threats to halt learning activities in schools came a day after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos reassured schools that the government was addressing the concerns surrounding the delays in releasing the capitation.
Speaking at Kereri Girls High School in Kisii County on Monday, February 17, Ogamba confirmed that the government would be releasing an additional Ksh15 billion from next week.
Ogamba, while addressing parents and students, attributed the delays in disbursing the capitation to budgetary constraints currently facing the government.
"The 50 per cent that was supposed to be released this term, for secondary schools we have released 25 per cent of that portion and there is pending Ksh15 billion and that share will be released next week," Ogamba assured.
