Mwathi decries delay in release of Sh1.5b social welfare funds
By Clement Kamau, February 3, 2021
The Parliamentary Labour and Social Welfare committee has raised alarm over what it called ‘unexplained’ delay of the release of Child Welfare Society funds by the National Treasury.
The delayed cash amounting to Sh1.5 billion was for the 2019/2020 financial year.
The committee has revealed that the funds which are usually distributed to schools by the government to cater for the needy, orphans and most vulnerable children in the society’s has not been released.
According to the committee chairman Peter Mwathi, public schools are struggling with the upkeep of these children particularly those in children’s homes and accused Treasury of deliberately delaying the funds at the expense of beneficiaries education.
“Schools management are in need of money to cater for such children. They cannot send them home to collect fees, since beneficiaries are selected from needy homes. It’s torturing them,” Mwathi told People Daily in Limuru town yesterday.
He revealed that the committee is intending to summon Finance Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattan so that he can explain why the funds are yet to be released.
Mwathi who is also the Limuru Member of Parliament said that the delay has dented the image of the Jubilee government which is led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We urge the President to also question the CS or crack the whip on him so that he can explain to Kenyans what is going on,” he said.
“Families with such children, and the beneficiaries have been flocking our our offices, and those of the administration for assistance to access the funds, but the problem is that the funds have not been released and nobody is telling the country why,” he said.