CS Ogamba: Schools should not send children home over fee arrears, funds are on the way

Education CS Julius Ogamba has pleaded with school heads not to send learners home due to fee arrears following the disbursement of part of the Sh48 billion capitation funds to schools.

According to the CS, the Treasury released Sh19 billion on Thursday, with an additional Sh15 billion which was to be disbursed on Friday.

"We are in the process of completing the Sh48 billion allocation in the next one or two weeks to ensure all schools receive their resources," Ogamba stated during a visit to St Charles Lwanga Junior School in Mombasa.

"We are asking headteachers not to send children home because the funds are on the way to their accounts," he added.

He was in Mombasa where learners were being enrolled into the Social Health Authority and also to inspect school infrastructure, and transition from Grade 8 to 9.

Ogamba said his ministry is also gathering information on schoolchildren without birth certificates to share with the Ministry of Interior for issuance, enabling them to register with SHA.

SHA registration

He mentioned that his ministry has teamed up with the Ministries of Health and Interior to facilitate parent registration with SHA, covering children who are beneficiaries.

"We are using a whole-of-government approach to ensure SHA registration runs smoothly," he said.

Regarding infrastructure, the CS mentioned that the construction of 15,000 laboratories for junior secondary school classes will commence this year.

He noted that more than 14,500 Grade 9 classrooms out of the required 16,000 are already complete, with the remaining set to be finished by the end of this month.

The CS also highlighted that the ministry has distributed books to schools to ensure every learner has adequate learning materials, aligning with the government's goal of achieving 100 per cent transition.

Addressing concerns raised by the Kenya Primary Heads Association about potential disruptions in school operations due to delayed capitation, Ogamba reassured that the government is committed to minimising disruptions in learning across all basic education institutions, particularly in Junior schools.

He highlighted that 76,000 teachers have been hired and some retooled to meet the demands of junior school education.

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• funds are on the way

"We have ensured that each Junior Secondary School has sufficient teachers to facilitate uninterrupted learning. Additionally, essential learning materials such as books have been provided," Ogamba affirmed.