NAIROBI, Kenya – The government will begin disbursing the delayed Sh14 billion capitation funds to schools this week, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has confirmed.
Speaking on Monday, Ogamba assured school heads that the Ministry of Education is working closely with the National Treasury to facilitate the long-overdue payments, urging administrators to refrain from sending students home due to financial strain.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure the balance is paid,” Ogamba said. “Capitation is the government’s responsibility, not the parents’.”
The CS noted that a team from his ministry is currently in talks with Treasury officials to assess the availability of funds and expedite the disbursement.
Additionally, he revealed that the government is working on a long-term strategy to prevent future delays, which have repeatedly disrupted school operations.
Schools were initially set to receive Sh28 billion for the first term, but only half of the amount was disbursed on January 30.
Capitation funds, which cater to tuition and operational costs, are typically released in three phases—50 percent in the first term, 30 percent in the second term, and 20 percent in the third term.
Under the government’s free primary education programme, each learner is allocated Sh1,420 annually, while junior secondary students receive Sh15,042.
Secondary school students under the free day secondary education programme are entitled to Sh22,244 per year.
The announcement comes amid mounting pressure from school heads, with the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) last week threatening to send students home if the financial crisis in schools persisted.
