Budget debacle delays release of tuition cash

The recent Supplementary Budget Estimates debacle has delayed the disbursement of tuition fees for primary and secondary education, Education Minister Sam Ongeri said.

The minister also announced that the ministry was intending to restore feeding programmes for poor students using funding from Japan and China.

MPs sought to know if the delayed disbursement compromised teaching and asked for details on bursary funding for poor primary and secondary pupils.

"No disbursement could be made until the Supplementary Estimates were passed," said the minister, who later disclosed that when technical anomalies were corrected, Treasury released Sh2.8 billion that was sent to schools on Monday.

At the same time, Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae clarified that MPs have not blocked plans to increase salaries of constitutional office holders.

Mr Githae said the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill that has the pay raise proposals passed the second reading on Wednesday.

Githae explained that the Bill had not been shelved.

Yesterday, Parliament adjourned 45 minutes early due to lack of business. Earlier, the recently released economic survey report 2009 was adopted after approval by about 10 MPs.