New proposal seeks to deny Kenya school heads power to control billions

Salyne Nyongesa (left) from St. Anthony Boys High School with Peter Ouma Obwago (right) from St. Joseph Boys High School all from Trans Nzoia County after they worn head teachers awards at the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association.

MOMBASA: Education ministry officials in the counties want secondary school head teachers denied the exclusive control of billions of shillings the Government channels to schools annually as subsidy.

Members of County Education Boards (CEBs), which were inaugurated in 2013 by Education Cabinet secretary Jacob Kaimenyi, want all capitation monies channelled through them and be managed by schools Boards of Management (BoM).

Currently, the Ministry of Education wires the monies directly to school accounts and the principals spend the funds without reference to the BoMs.

Statistics from the ministry indicate the Government remits over Sh28 billion annually to all public secondary schools to benefit some 2.2 million students. Another Sh14 billion is wired to primary schools annually for 10 million pupils.

Besides the Government subsidy, schools raise an additional Sh116.6 billion in fees paid by parents annually.

CEBs have proposed to Kaimenyi to review financial management in secondary schools by having them control the massive funds to enhance accountability.

The vice chairperson of the caucus for the CEBs from the 47 counties James Kanya Tuesday said accountability systems must be put in place for the huge monies.

"Currently, they receive the cash, spend it, then are later on asked to account for it. But with the proposed arrangement, no money will be lost because all expenditures shall be authorised first by BoMs," said Dr Kanya. Under the proposed arrangement, CEBs shall receive cash from the ministry, then send it to BOMs. "CEBs shall then send the cash to BoMs who will sanction expenditure of every coin in schools," reads the document seen by The Standard. Kanya said all BOMs will be answerable to the CEBs.

But Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) National Chairman John Awiti Tuesday said principals are not afraid to be accountable. "What we want is that the accountability being sought from principals be equally demanded from CEBs and BoMs," said Awiti.

"These are public resources and we as principals must not have a problem with accountability. However, if CEBs receiving cash on behalf of schools will build a bureaucratic process that further delay the monies reaching schools, then we shall reject it," added Awiti.

He said principals would be happy if CEBs would be pushing for quick release of the funds that have faced constant delays.

Tuesday, Kanya added that BOMs are better placed to manage the schools' resources because of their composition. "BoMs have representatives from sponsors, parents, students, special needs, special interest groups and teachers. The CEB is also represented and the school principal is the secretary of the board," he said.

He said a committee that comprises the area MP, County Director of Education, member of county assembly, area chief, sponsor and parents' representatives vet the nominated representatives who sit on the BoM.

KAIMENYI'S POWERS

CEBs' core mandate is to coordinate and monitor education and training in the county on behalf of the national and the county governments.

The move to 'snatch' schools' accounts from the heads is seen as a second attempt by the Education ministry to enhance accountability in schools. The first attempt was the contested introduction of 'agency' by the contentious Basic Education Regulations that have been suspended by Parliament. Under the regulations, Kaimenyi proposes that all secondary heads be appointed agents of the ministry because of the huge resources under their management.

"'Head of institution' means a teacher, head teacher or principal appointed by the Teachers' Service Commission to head an institution and exercising delegated authority of the CS, Ministry of Education as the Accounting Officer for the institution," reads the contentious definition as proposed under the regulations. The regulation further says that in the event a school head misuses resources, the Education CS shall take away the agency.

"Where any impropriety is established on the part of a head of an institution, the CS shall revoke forthwith the designation of such head as the accounting officer and request TSC for a replacement," reads the regulation. This means that the education CS shall have immense powers over teachers, a move that has been opposed by TSC and teachers' unions.

Kanya said the current tradition only allows for major loopholes where school heads are audited by their 'colleagues.' "With the agency, the audit would be done by external auditors and that is what they are afraid of," said Kanya.