Mombasa venue to cost schools Sh2.5m

By Maureen Mudi

The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KSSHA) will spend Sh2.5 million to hire a venue for this year’s conference.

Other costs include accommodation, meals and fuel for the hundreds of school buses ferrying delegates.

This means the head teachers will spend Sh500,000 daily for the event while those, who travel to the venue by school buses, will fuel the vehicles using their school funds.

Head teachers who flock the streets of Mombasa every year for the five-day conference have their expenses footed by their schools or sponsors.

Details have emerged that the schools represented at the annual conference meet the costs for their heads. The amount spent depends on the teachers’ job groups and the school’s ability to pay.

Some heads we talked to confirmed their schools give them Sh1,000 daily for the five days, raised from the capacity building programme and administration vote.

According to officials, the Ministry of Education provides the money to schools.

Board of governors

For those who cannot raise enough money through sponsorships, they get funding from their schools once the Board of Governors approves the budget.

Each teacher pays Sh1,500 participation fee that caters for stationery and snacks during the conference.

KSSHA Mombasa branch chairman Jilo Mwaruka, who is also a member of the national committee, said the heads also pay Sh100 monthly fee.

The association, with more than 4,000 members, sends proposals to potential sponsors in advance.

"It is expected that each region sources for its own sponsors and when we finally realise what we have achieved, that is when individual heads go for the school money just as a subsidy," said Mr Mwaruka.

He says the amount approved by the school boards depends on the institutions’ ability, adding majority of heads claim between Sh2,000 to Sh6,000 a day to foot bills incurred during the conference.

The official says the invitations are normally co-ordinated at provincial then district level, with the district chairmen inviting individual heads and stating the requirements.

The association chairman in the region also informs the Provincial Director of Education and invites the official on behalf of the association.

The heads are also given hotel ratings and categories to select the ones they can afford.

Sponsors include Barclays Bank, Kenya Ports Authority, Bamburi Cement and National Authority Against Drug Abuse, among others.

Oxford University Press, Mr Fuad said, will sponsor the venue for the Coast Province for today’s conference in Malindi.