A number of high schools across the country are grappling with cash crunch caused by President Uhuru Kenyatta's policy on one hundred per cent form transition.
According to a section of principals who spoke to Citizen TV on Monday, June 20, their institutions are currently in debt owing to the fact that the government had not released the funds.
The school heads expressed their concerns over some suppliers' decisions to pull out of their institutions due to the current financial crises.
The affected principals noted that their schools have pending bills that have taken a toll that are now threatening to derail normal operations.
"We have not received money under the current form one students in our schools. Finding a way to fill the gap in terms of financing the difference is a challenge," one principal told Citizen TV.
"We were contemplating stopping supplying goods and services to schools because there is no money to pay us back. However some principals are pleading with us not to pull out as it will affect the institutions," a supplier explained.
In January, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha indicated that the Ministry of Education had released a capitation of up to Ksh16 billion to primary and secondary schools warning principals against sending students away due to lack of school fees.
"One thing that we also do is that we always love our children and the government is doing everything to ensure there is capitation of every child in public schools and we always ensure that that money is in schools before they open," Magoha explained.
While releasing the final Kenya Secondary Certificate Examination (KSCE) in April, Magoha explained that he has managed to sustain President Uhuru's directive of 100 per cent form one transition.
"Under the 100 per cent transition policy, the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta has sustained the push to have every KCPE candidate gets enrolled in Form One and progresses to Form Four. I am proud to have led the campaigns that have achieved the 100 per cent transition of two KCPE cohorts (2019 and 2020). This has seen enrolment in secondary schools’ grow from 1.3 million in 2008 to 3.5 million in 2022."
Beginning May 3, 2022, we shall work tirelessly to ensure that all the 2021 KCPE candidates join Form One in the letter and spirit of the 100 per cent transition policy," Magoha's statement read in part.
He also disclosed that the government has raised funds remitted to secondary schools to keep learners in schools.
Free Day Secondary school learning the government has made deliberate efforts to make education not only accessible but also affordable. This has been demonstrated by raising of capitation for Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) from Ksh12,870 to the current Kshs22,244.
This has ensured that thousands of learners, many from 12 humble backgrounds, have attended and completed their secondary education without having to pay for any other costs," Magoha explained.
But according to principals, schools are struggling to keep the students in school after the CS warned them against sending them home.
