Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said substantial money has been paid to artisans making desks for public primary and secondary schools.

Prof Magoha noted that artisans from Machakos and Nairobi who had delivered the desks, had been paid.

Contracted artisans in Kirinyaga, Kisii, Muranga and Makueni will get payments from next week after verification of documents.

“The documents have to be verified at the county level before submitting them to our head office and eventually make payments through mobile money transfer service. The payments will be much faster because we are paying for what has been verified,” the CS said.

The government set aside Sh1.9 billion under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) for the supply of the locally assembled desks to public primary and secondary schools countrywide. 

“I have several desks myself and those that were poorly done have been returned. We should not raise unnecessary tension among Kenyans. Anybody who wants to audit the program and the funds used can do so,” he told the media at Nyabururu Girls National School in Kisii on Thursday

Magoha admitted that there were delays in payments and apologised to artisans.

On school fees, the CS urged school management to be considerate to students from poor background.

“Some children have had their parents affected by Covid-19; with some having their both parents not working. Let us not send them home unless you have done due diligence to establish that their parents are able to pay schools fees.”

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