The Ministry of Education (MOE) has revealed that it has released KSh19 billion capitation funds to schools across the country amidst claims by principals that they had not seen the cash
While speaking in Mombasa on Wednesday this week, Education CS Julius Ogamba said that the government had disbursed KSh 19 billion capitation funds to all public basic institutions.
He added that the State will ensure that KSh48 billion budgeted for capitation is disbursed to schools in the next two weeks.
The CS was speaking at Umoja Comprehensive School during an inspection tour. “We were supposed to receive KSh48 billion but we were able to receive KSh 19 billion on January 22 which has been disbursed to schools. Another KSh15 billion will be disbursed on January 24,” he said.
Ogamba warned head teachers against sending students home to collect fees.
However, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Chairman Willy Kuria has said that the capitation funds is yet to hit school accounts leaving institutions in a dilemma.

Speaking to one of the media houses he said: “So how much has been disbursed per student? The money is less than half of what we expected, more so it will be swallowed by debts by the time it land in our accounts,” said Kuria, who is also Principal at Murang’a High School.
Last week, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi reassured school administrators and education stakeholders that the Government will release KSh48.8 billion in capitation funds next week.

The funding, amounting to 50 per cent of the total education budget for 2025, aims to alleviate challenges in schools due to delayed disbursement.
During a visit to the Savona Water Project in Kakamega on Friday January 17, 2025 CS Mbadi explained that the delay in funding was primarily due to pressing debt obligations.
“This month, we needed to settle a KSh70 billion loan to external creditors, which we have now completed. I assure schools and teachers that next week, we will be releasing KSh48 billion to support our education system, which we recognize as a critical social function,” said CS.
The capitation funds will cater for secondary, junior secondary and primary schools across the country.
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Ogamba also toured Umoja Primary School in Changamwe to inspect the registration of parents to the Social Health Authority (SHA), transition of students from Grade 8 to 9. Also he inspected school infrastructure.
The CS also added that his ministry is collecting data on schoolchildren with no birth certificates to share their details with the Ministry of Interior to enable the children to register with SHA.
“We are using an entire government approach to ensure SHA registration is smooth,” he said.
By Joseph Mambili
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