Government to release delayed Sh14 billion capitation to schools this week, CS says

Kiptanui Cherono-KNA

Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba has appealed to secondary school heads not to send students home over delayed capitation.

The CS says the Education Ministry is working closely with the Treasury to ensure the balance of Sh14 billion first-term capitation is released from this week.

 Speaking at the Eldoret National Polytechnic during the technical and vocational training, TVET principals quarterly meeting, CS Ogamba said the Ministry had liaised with head teachers not to send students home over school fees as his officers’ work round the clock with the Treasury to ensure the balance is released to schools as soon as possible.

 “It is not the parents who pay the fees, it is paid through capitation from the government. We are doing everything possible to ensure the balance is paid, hopefully by the coming week. A team from the Ministry is in the Treasury to find out if there are adequate resources so that the capitation can be released,” the CS said.

 He added the ministry is working on a mechanism to ensure that capitation is released on time so that challenges like those head teachers and students are going through currently do not recur.

On the controversial university funding model, the CS said the presidential review team formed by President William Ruto is finalizing its report.

 “The team reviewed various issue raised by Kenyans and those raised in court, and once the report is finalized it will be discussed to ensure the recommendations therein, and how the team has dealt with the teething problems that were there in the previous funding model are captured to ensure we come up with a funding model that is fit for all,” Ogamba said.

“We want to ensure that the findings are implemented so that by the time the new cohort of students’ report in September, we will utilize a funding model that will fit the purpose, devoid of challenges faced by the previous model,” he added.

 The CS, who was flanked by Eldoret Polytechnic Chief Principal Dr. Charles Koech, called on teams running public institutions to exercise the highest level of integrity and professionalism, observing that such institutions will stand or fall on governance.

 “We want people to do what they are mandated to do without overstepping their mandate; we do not want a situation where a board oversteps its mandate to interfere with management; we want the teams to work in harmony within their mandates,” he said.

 The CS said integrity and proper leadership in public institutions are not negotiable.

“And where we find a board member, or a board chairperson, a principal, or a vice chancellor, not doing what they are supposed to do, or the institutions being politicized, we shall take stern action. Our institutions are larger than an individual,” he warned.

 On TVETS, the CS said the ministry intends to ensure that a good number of the 3.5 to 4 million youths currently unemployed or in formal education are absorbed in TVETS.