In a stark message during the teachers’ conference in Mombasa, Kahi Indimuli of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) said schools risk being thrown into turmoil if the learning disruption bogey does not receive a remarkable solution in the shortest time possible. At the heart of the matter, Kahi said, is the move by the government to delay the disbursement of capitation funds.
Capitation funds, which are critical in running schools that are implementing the free secondary education program, are facing a critical challenge of delay. The 50:30:20 government funding model for terms one, two, and three respectively has caused a huge jam, as schools await their share of the Sh22,244 per student. This delay has left schools with a headache, unable to meet basic needs like feeding their students.
At the center of matters being discussed at the 46th KESSHA conference is the rising cost of food. Schools are buying a 50kg bag of beans at exorbitant prices—in some cases up to Sh. 20,000—and maize at between Sh. 7,000 and Sh. 8,000. These costs have deepened extremely, complicating school budgets and rendering it difficult for principals to feed students.
Adding salt to injury, suppliers have changed tact, demanding payment in advance prior to delivering foodstuffs, for fear of bounced cheques. This has escalated the problem and made a difficult situation for the schools worse, as their coffers lie dry and no help seems to be forthcoming immediately.
The situation finds heads of institutions walking on quick sand, pot-holed by financial challenges yet striving to ensure that their students are well-fed and comfortable to handle the books. These circumstances have been the major stuff of discussions at the conference. This is a clarion call for the government to hasten the process of disbursing the capitation funds and for the country to address the ever-rising costs of foodstuffs in the schools.