‘Ruto owes secondary schools Ksh69B’ – Raila
By Francis Muli, January 2, 2024Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga has accused President William Ruto of lying about budgetary allocation to the education sector and student capitation.
In a statement to newsrooms on January 2, 2024, Raila said the Kenya Kwanza administration fell short of fulfilling its pledge for free day secondary education subsidy.
Raila says the country had 3,690,376 learners who required Ksh82,088,723,744 in funding, but the government approved only Ksh64,421,865,698.
“Of this approved amount, only Ksh64,421,850,160.01 was actually disbursed to schools, leaving a deficit of 17,666,873,584. This left some 794,231 students without any form of funding. In the Financial Year 2022/2023, the Ruto administration disbursed only Ksh17,339.00 instead of Ksh22,244 per child. Ruto owes each child on this programme some Ksh4,905. The total money owed to schools from the Financial Year 2022/2023 is Ksh18,101,294,280,” Raila stated.
According to Raila, in the 2023/2024 Financial Year, the Ruto administration disbursed only Ksh3,327.87 per child instead of Ksh22,244, a mere 14 per cent of the required amount.
“He owes each child some Ksh18, 916, 13 or 85 per cent of what is needed. Ruto owes secondary schools a total of Ksh69,807,632,165. It is not even clear whether the paltry 14 per cent said to have been disbursed has actually been discharged,” he added.
“There is a big disconnect between what the government says and what is actually implemented. It is not true that the Kenya Kwanza administration has enhanced any funding for free education. To ensure that every Kenyan child has a right to access free and compulsory basic education and that all students in secondary school are funded to complete their basic education, the government of Kenya began the Free Day Secondary Education programme in 2008, with the granting of capitation per learner.”
In 2008, when the programme was started, the rate per learner was Ksh10,625 which was increased to Ksh12,870 in 2015 and then to Ksh22,244 in 2018.
As a result of the initiative, public secondary schools were also prohibited from charging tuition fees.
“Ruto has added nothing to this limit. As schools await opening, most parents are struggling with the reality of increased school fees of between Ksh40,000 and Ksh90,000 in the fee structures they have received from government secondary schools. The school fees bill is way beyond the reach of most parents. At the same time, head teachers are struggling to meet the basic resourcing needs of their schools,” Raila added.
Raila demands
The opposition supremo says the denial of full capitation is eroding fair and equitable access to education which will result in disparity among regions.
“Underfunded education system, low pay, overcrowded classes and lack of resources for special education and support staff is stealing the future of children and communities at a time government officials are wallowing in luxurious living, unnecessary globetrotting and showing off millions of bundles of cash at public events,” he added.
Raila has called on the government to release all the monies owed to schools and also match the capitation at the approved rate of Ksh22,244 per child for the financial year 2023/2024.
He says in the absence of strong unions to stand up for our schools, all Parents Teachers’ Associations and school Boards of Management across the country should rise to the occasion and demand full end equitable sharing of education funding.
He has also appealed to religious leaders and civil society organizations to call out the Kenya Kwanza administration and force it to fund the education system properly.
“I instruct our members of parliament and county assemblies to prioritize basic and higher education spending. Our legislators must embark on active steps to force the government to release public education funding, both at the Primary and secondary levels before schools resume,” he added.
Raila demanded that the government releases money to schools ahead of Monday, when schools open.