Headteachers in confusion over Ministry circular on capitation

Head teachers have been thrown into confusion after the Ministry of Education directed them to acknowledge receipt of Sh8,319 first term capitation funds per student.

The secondary school head teachers reported to have only received Sh4,100 and not Sh8,319.

The head teachers are furious with the directive and have vowed to ignore the order by Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, saying they could only account for Sh4,100 that was remitted.

In a circular dated January 17, sent through the County Directors of Education, the Ministry had directed the heads to acknowledge receipt of the money within two weeks.

“Failure to which further release of grants to such schools will be suspended and will not get allocations in future,” read the circular in part.

The head teachers have accused the government of withholding Sh64 billion that had not been remitted to schools since 2019, leading to huge debts.

Through the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association which has a membership of 9,300, the teachers took to social media platforms complaining over the directive.

They said obeying the directive will put them on collision course with parents over the money.

Heads Association National Chairman Willy Kuria said the head teachers can only confirm receiving Sh4,100 from the Ministry of Education out of the expected Sh10,000.

Kuria who is also the Principal of Murang’a High School said the government has budgeted Sh22,400 per student per year which is hardly remitted.

“The heads were waiting to receive Sh10,000 from the ministry only to get a rude shock, with less money to run their institutions in the first term,” he said.

In response to the teachers concerns, the Ministry of Education issued an updated circular detailing that a second disbursement of the capitation was being processed.

The statement by the director of secondary education detailed that they are supposed to acknowledge the first and second tranches in term one amounting to 50 per cent.

“The funds for the second tranche will be disbursed shortly, ” read the statement in part. 

In the circular, the PS explains that the allocation per student was remitted based on information captured in Nemis on November 9, last year.

Njenga Gathige, the principal of Muthithi Secondary School in Kigumo said it was morally wrong to push the head teachers into acknowledging what they have not received.

“The head teachers can only account for what they received in the banks,” said Njenga.

In the list, the ministry states that of Sh 8,319 remitted, Sh565 was retained by the Ministry for SMASS, textbooks, and co-curricular activities.