Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba is on the spot for failing to release funds for schools participating in the ongoing Kenya Music Festival, forcing learners to rely on public fundraisers to travel.
The national event, running from August 4 to 14, has been marred by reports of stranded students, last-minute fundraisers and schools pulling out due to lack of support from the ministry.
During a charged session in Parliament, lawmakers accused CS Ogamba of neglecting his duties and leaving schools across the country to fend for themselves. Several MPs painted a grim picture of students and teachers scrambling to raise money for transport, accommodation, and meals costs that should have been covered by the Ministry.
“Mr Speaker, as of today—midday—schools are still desperately fundraising just to attend the national festivals. This is not a new event. It’s planned every year, yet here we are again. The Ministry has not communicated how much money is being sent, when it will be sent, or if at all it will be sent. The Cabinet Secretary owes this House and the public a clear explanation,” said Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba.
The MP for Emuhaya who also chairs the National Assembly's Education Committee further called out the CS for denying widespread claims that county and sub-county education directors demand kickbacks from school allocations.
“On the issue of the money that is deducted by the sub-county directors and county directors, the CS has said no such deductions are done. But the truth on the ground is that all the time when funding goes to schools, principals and head teachers are asked to take part of the money back to the Ministry,” said Mr Milemba.
Mr Ogamba admitted that funds allocated for co-curricular activities in public schools remain inadequate and that delays in disbursement from the National Treasury continue to hamper participation in key national events.
“It is important to acknowledge the challenges that impact the effective use of these resources. The high cost of national representation strains school budgets, delays in disbursement of funds by the National Treasury affect timely facilitation, forcing schools to bridge funding gaps and the specialized events like music festivals and performing arts require costumes and instruments, which demand resources beyond the standard learner allocation,” he said.
The CS said that public primary schools receive Sh76 per learner annually for co-curricular activities under the Free Primary Education programme, while Sh1,500 per learner is allocated to secondary schools through the Free Day Secondary Education programme.
“The Sh76 and Sh1,500 allocations are not specifically assigned to events like ball games or music festivals. Schools are expected to prepare their own budgets based on their capacity and the activities they intend to participate in,” said Mr Ogamba.
“The Ministry retains part of the capitation for co-curricular activities Sh40 per learner in primary schools and Sh500 per learner in secondary schools. These funds are consolidated and channeled to regional, county, and sub-county offices to facilitate activities at those levels. The remaining amount is sent directly to schools. However, it is important to recognize the challenges that affect the effective use of these resources,” he added.
