Uhuru gives Education scorecard as principals demand fee increase

President Uhuru Kenyatta with principals and education officials at the 45th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association annual conference in Mombasa yesterday. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday extolled his government’s achievements in the Education sector since 2013.

Speaking in Mombasa, gave an overview of reforms undertaken by his administration.

His government, the President said, had employed more than 120,000 teachers since 2013, increased their salaries and provided them with a comprehensive insurance cover.

President Kenyatta said 6,470 classrooms to support the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) out of the planned 10,000 will be completed at the end of this month.

Addressing more than 10,000 principals at the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) conference at the Sheikh Zayed Children Welfare Centre in Mombasa, Uhuru said he had laid a firm foundation for the sector.

This came a day after principals asked government to increase boarding school fees by at least 13 per cent to cushion the institutions against debts.

Kessha chairman Indimuli Kahi on Tuesday also asked government to increase the capitation grant per student per year from Sh22,244 to Sh30,000.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akelo Misori also asked the government to employ 115,000 teachers to plug the deficit and make the CBC a success.

Yesterday, President Kenyatta said the government had raised the budget for the training of teachers from Sh116.4 billion in 2013 to Sh288.6 billion. This, he said, will improve the quality of learning.

“So far, the government has built 6,470 classrooms which are due for completion at the end of the this month while the rest will be completed in the next phase,” he said.

President Kenyatta said schools have been provided with desks, chairs and 90 per cent of the institutions connected to the national grid while others provided with solar equipment.

He said more than nine million children will be reporting to school under the CBC programme next week as government pushed for practical learning.

“I have laid down a firm foundation and others should come and build on it,” he said of his record.

The President was accompanied by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.

The President said he was proud on gains made in the enrollment particularly in secondary schools.

He said the enrollment to secondary school had increased from 1.3 million in 2008 to 3.6 million this year.

“I am proud of the gains in enrollment particularly in secondary school which more than doubled. The enrollment has increased from 1.3 million in 2008 to 3.6 million in 2022,” said Uhuru.

He said the government had supplied books to every child in primary and secondary school and introduced digital learning which would be expanded to achieve digital literacy.

He said the public schools have achieved the ratio of one book to a child following the introduction of the free books programme.  

President Uhuru said the 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary schools has seen day schools admit 70 per cent of the beneficiaries.

Presidential awards

The President commended teachers for their transformative and innovative role and said a number of them will be given presidential awards during Madaraka Day.

Prof Magoha said the Sh544 billion budget for the Ministry of Education was the biggest and commended the President for supporting the sector.

“We should get more from this budget. We should get value from the funds allocated for the construction of CBC classrooms,” he said.

He praised President Kenyatta for the employment of more than 120,000 teachers during his reign.

“Do not accuse the President of not employing teachers. From when he took over, he has employed more than 120,000 teachers, and even this year, he is employing,” said Prof Magoha.

Indimuli said principals were ready for the double intake and will fully embraced CBC. He commended the government for the 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary saying it had given vulnerable children an opportunity to study.