MPs take Ogamba to task over delays in disbursement of capitation funds to schools

Members of Parliament have raised the alarm over delays in the disbursement of capitation funds to schools, warning that the financial strain could undermine the provision of free and compulsory education in the country.

Appearing before the Education Committee on Thursday,  Education Cabinet Secretary  Julius Ogamba faced questions from legislators seeking clarity on the ministry’s plans to ensure timely and adequate funding for public schools.

The meeting followed a request for a statement by Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, who expressed concern over the underfunding of schools.

He noted that in Term One of this year, schools only received Sh14 billion out of an expected Sh28 billion, resulting in acute cash flow challenges and accumulation of pending bills.

According to Mbui, the capitation shortfall had ballooned to Sh64 billion over the past five years.

“How free is education in Kenya if schools are forced to run on half their budgets? The government must address how schools are expected to operate amid such financial uncertainty,” Narok Woman Rep Rebecca Tonkei said

In his response, Ogamba acknowledged the funding gap, noting that while the ministry had disbursed Sh28.8 billion to secondary schools in two tranches—January and March —this was still Sh7.5 billion short of the required Ksh 36.3 billion for the term.

“We disbursed 50 per cent of the budgeted amount in two tranches, but the printed estimates had a deficit. That’s a reflection of the fiscal pressure we are under,” Ogamba said.

“Free education must be meaningful. Our population is increasing at almost 5 per cent annually. We must find workable and sustainable solutions to fund the sector,” committee chair Julius Melly said.

He explained that while budgeting is based on enrollment data from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), actual disbursement had shifted to the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) to address data inconsistencies.

“We had to move to KEMIS because of the persistent challenges in NEMIS,” he said.

However, MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation, with Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gesairo questioning how the ministry could be unaware of pending bills affecting secondary schools.

“This shows a serious gap in planning. The Ministry must know the exact debt it owes schools,” he said.

The committee also heard that this year, each primary school learner was entitled to Sh1,420, junior secondary school learners Sh15,043, and secondary school learners Sh22,244.

However, Ogamba admitted that not all funds reach schools due to deductions — Sh75 per primary pupil, for instance, is sent to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development for textbooks, while Sh20 supports co-curricular activities.

On examination funding, the CS clarified that national exams are not covered under capitation but are instead funded separately through allocations to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).

Internal examinations, however, are allocated Sh36 per primary school learner, Sh647 for junior school, and 11 per cent of tuition allocation for secondary schools.

To enhance timeliness, Ogamba said the Ministry now disburses capitation based on school terms — 50 per cent in Term 1, 30 per cent in Term 2, and 20 per cent in Term 3.

He cited delays in exchequer releases and erroneous data uploads by schools as key contributors to disbursement bottlenecks.

The CS urged MPs to push for adequate budgetary allocations in the upcoming financial year.

“We appeal to this committee to support the ministry in securing funds at the approved rates to ensure that no school is left behind,” he said.