Opposition leader Raila Odinga has accused president William Ruto of misleading the nation about increased allocations to the education sector.
Odinga highlighted the dire funding situation in the education sector and called on the government to prioritize the education.
According to Odinga, the government’s own data reveals a significant shortfall in government subsidy for Free Day Secondary Education.
Funding strategy
In the previous financial year, the country had over 3.6 million learners who required over Ksh82 billion in funding.
However, the government only approved Ksh64 billion, leaving a deficit of Ksh17.6 billion.
As a result, nearly 800,000 students were left without any form of funding.
Furthermore, the Ruto administration disbursed only Ksh17,339 per child instead of the required Ksh22,244 in the 2022/2023 financial year.
This has resulted in a total debt of Ksh18.1 billion owed to schools.
In the current financial year
The administration disbursed a mere 14per cent of the required amount, owing each child Ksh18,916.13.
Odinga emphasized that the government’s claims of increased funding for free education are false.
The Free Day Secondary Education program, which began in 2008, aimed to ensure every Kenyan child has access to free and compulsory basic education.
However, the funding per learner has remained the same since 2018, with no enhancements made by the current administration.
As schools prepare to reopen, parents are grappling with school fees ranging from Ksh40,000 to Ksh90,000 in government secondary schools.
This places a heavy burden on most parents who are unable to afford these fees.
Additionally, head teachers are struggling to meet the basic needs of their schools due to the funding shortage.
The impact of the funding shortage is not uniform across the country.
Schools with developed infrastructure and non-government support can manage with the limited funds, but poorer schools are left in a dire situation.
This disparity in funding is eroding fair and equitable access to education, leading to regional disparities.
Odinga condemned the government’s prioritization of affordable housing over education funding.
He called for 100 per cent funding of public schools to ensure every child and region has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Odinga urged the government to release all outstanding funds owed to schools and to provide capitation at the approved rate of Ksh22,244 per child for the current financial year.
In the absence of strong unions
Odinga called on Parents Teachers Associations and school Boards of Management to demand full and equitable sharing of education funding.
He also appealed to religious leaders and civil society organizations to support the cause and hold the government accountable for financing the education of Kenyan children.
In a final directive
Odinga instructed members of parliament and county assemblies to prioritize education spending and take active steps to force the government to release public education funds before schools reopen.
However,the funding shortage in the education sector is a result of corruption and harmful political choices.
Odinga believes it is a deliberate policy to suppress certain regions and discriminate against marginalized communities.
He emphasized the urgent need to address this issue and ensure that every child has access to quality education.
Consequently,as the nation awaits a response from the government, the future of Kenyan children hangs in the balance.
