Fears over free school cash
The British Government wants action taken before it resumes support for the Free Primary Education programme, high commissioner Rob Macaire told reporters when he visited the Africa Sports and Talents Empowerment Programme offices in Eldoret on Wednesday. Photo/JARED NYATAYA
Parents and teachers are worried that more donors will suspend support for free primary education (FPE) over misappropriation of funds.
This follows the United States Government’s suspension of a Sh525 million grant to the Ministry of Education. The US cited scandals in the ministry and the government’s laxity to address them as the reason for freezing the grant.
Britain was first to hold back funds after it emerged that more that Sh100 million of free learning money was either stolen or could not be accounted for.
But Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi downplayed the US move, saying it would not affect FPE.
US under-secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero on Thursday said the funds were meant for the training of Education ministry teaching staff.
She said the funds were not intended to provide resources for schools. “Training for the Ministry of Education staff will be halted until the money is traced,” she said at Kenya Polytechnic University College after addressing the youth on technology.
Ms Otero called on the youth to take part in politics as they were agents of change. “The youth should participate in politics and come up with ways of making the country better.”
She commended the youth for their innovations and noted in particular an invention with which one can keep track of a vehicle using a mobile phone, adding that such innovations should be patented.
Uninterrupted
Prof Mutahi told journalists after chairing a meeting at Njiiris School in Kigumo District: “We are not anticipating any crisis and FPE is expected to run uninterrupted despite the move by the US Government.”
He said the money was to be released next year and its impact may not affect learning, particularly the FPE.
The British Government is said to have donated Sh7 billion since the start of FPE. The funds had contributed towards increased enrolment in primary schools countrywide.
British High Commissioner Rob Macaire called on the government to move with speed and bring all those involved in the disappearance of funds to book. He was speaking in Eldoret on Wednesday.
Rift Valley Knut secretary Sammy Bor said that whereas parents were worried they would have to dig deeper into their pockets to raise fees for their children, teachers were no better not knowing how they would run their schools minus the funds.
He appealed to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to live to their promise and ensure those responsible for the mess were firmly dealt with.
Additional reporting by Caroline Rwenji
