KISUMU, Kenya, Jan 17 – Treasury is set to release Sh48.8 billion capitation funds to public schools next week.
According to Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, the delay in releasing the funds to schools before opening last week was due to debt servicing by the government.
“We have been struggling from the beginning of the year to pay loans, the external loans, which have been due, Sh. 70 billion, we have to pay, we had no choice,” he said.
The CS says from next week, funds will hit school accounts to aid in the education of Kenyan children.
“From next week, we will release money to schools, so that our children can go to school,” he said.
Mbadi made the announcement just one day after the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) issued a 7 day ultimatum to the Ministry of Education to release the capitation funds.
KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima had threatened that failure to release the funds would culminate in the union advising the schools heads to close the schools and send the learners home.
Speaking in Kisumu East on Friday when he toured different Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) projects, Mbadi said counties will receive funds after the capitation fund for schools has been released.
“We will then release funds to the counties to finance the county governments,” he said.
The CS pointed out that the broad-based government believes in devolution which can only work through timely disbursement of funds.
Mbadi explained that the last regime, through unnecessary loans ruined the economy noting that the current government is putting in place measures aimed at steering the country to safer grounds.
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