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The Azimio coalition has criticized the government over its recent remarks that funding for free primary and secondary education will be wired to schools by next week.

The opposition said it was wrong for the ministry to release the funds with less than two weeks before schools close for the Easter holidays.

Addressing a news conference yesterday, the coalition accused the government of constantly lying that it will wire the funds to manage public expectations while setting up school heads for failure.

Led by Leader of Minority and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, the over 12 MPs told government to release the entire Sh52.8 billion owed to schools or come out and tell Kenyans whether it has done away with of free primary and free secondary Education because from the look of things, this seems to be the case.

Said Wandayi, “given the foregoing, we demand that the government immediately stops the lies and releases the entire Kshs 52.8 billion owed to schools. On the one hand, the government must also embark on timely disbursement of capitation funds, with the payment schedule made public to learners.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Education must immediately cease the habit of withholding part of the school capitation without good reason.”

He added: “We have lost count of the numerous times such promises have been made since the Kenya Kwanza regime took over. This is turning out to be a game of lies; managing the public on the one hand, while setting up school heads for failure, which the Ministry of Education has perfected.

The opposition’s statement comes a day after Principal Secretary State Department for Basic Education Belio Kipsang announced that public secondary schools will begin receiving funds for free secondary education next week.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Public Account Committee, Kipsang said the government has so far released 25 per cent of Sh65 billion allocated for free secondary education capitation.

He said: “This morning we had a discussion with my colleague from the National Treasury and shortly we are releasing up to 25 per cent of the outstanding capitation amount owed to secondary schools nationwide so that by the end of this quarter we can do 50 per cent.”

“We expect that amount to hit accounts within the next 10 days,” he added.

But yesterday, the Azimio legislators regretted that as of now the government has not come up with a convincing explanation as to why funds that should have been disbursed earlier on in the term are only being disbursed towards the end of the term.

They argued that by owing schools a whooping Sh52.8 billion, it is testament enough of the lack of commitment by the government to the future of the country’s school going children.

The MPs regretted that even if they were to actualise what the Ministry announced they would be sending to schools, the amount is a mere 25 per cent of money owed to schools.

Said Wandayi: “Funds are yet to be remitted to schools for form-one students in secondary schools, whose first term is set to come to an end in a matter of weeks. Equally, there is neither any commitment nor indication from the government that when schools reopen for second term, the monies will have been disbursed.”

Speaking on behalf of the legislators, Wandayi regretted that for the first time since 2005, parents have been left with no choice but to buy exercise books for their children, with a number of contemplating closing earlier than scheduled while others have resolved to do away with end of term tests because they can no longer afford basics like stationery.

He said: “The present state of affairs in our schools is a great shame to this nation. The net effect of all these happenings is that schools will resort to provision of compromised basic education, which will have incalculable ramifications on standards of education in Kenya and the future of Kenyan children.”

Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu said that the government is going against the earlier agreement where it is supposed to wire 50 per cent to schools, followed by 30 per cent and then 20 per cent annually.

He said: “Any country playing around with education is playing with its future. We don’t understand why this sector is not getting all its funds yet other sectors are getting adequate funding.”