By KARANJA NJOROGE
The Ministry of Education has said Free Education Funds will be disbursed once budget consultations with stakeholders are concluded.
Acting Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Professor George Godia said the delay has been occasioned by the need to hold consultations with all the stakeholders before the funds can be released inline with the Constitution.
“This delay has been occasioned by the need to comply with Section 221 of the Constitution that calls for thorough budget consultations among all stakeholders before the funds can be released,” the PS said.
In a speech read on his behalf by a senior official in the Ministry Agatha Khaoya during the annual Western Province Secondary School Heads Association in Nakuru, the PS said the balance of Sh 9.5 billion due to secondary schools this term would be released soon.
The statement was however met with murmurs of disapproval by the more than 300 Secondary school head teachers who protested over the delay in the disbursement of the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) funds.
“I want to assure you that both the Free Education Funds and the Free Day Secondary Education funds are ring fenced and the Government will always strive to ensure that these funds are disbursed as scheduled,” he said.
The head teachers however demanded that the funds be released immediately saying they were facing many challenges in light of the delay.
Godia said the Government has disbursed a total of Sh 75.9 billion to public primary schools and Sh 67.7 billion to public secondary schools since the inception of the two programs in 2003 and 2008 respectively.
He called upon head teachers, Board of Governors and school management to ensure that funds are used prudently as per the laid down financial regulations.
The PS clarified there would be no contradiction between the function of the Teachers Service Commission and those of the Ministry of Education.
The two according to the PS have distinct but complementary functions and each of them has deployed staff to the Counties to implement their respective mandates and functions as stipulated by the Constitution.
