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Many schools in Kenya are facing a cash crunch as they reopen for the first term of the new academic year. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education sector, forcing schools to close for several months and reduce their income from fees and other sources.
According to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), most schools have not received adequate funding from the government to cover their operational costs and pay their staff. The union has warned that some schools may not be able to resume classes due to lack of funds.
The Ministry of Education has allocated Ksh 19.5 billion to public schools for the first term, which is expected to run from January 3 to March 18. However, the ministry has not released the funds yet, leaving many schools in limbo.
Some schools have resorted to asking parents to pay extra levies or donations to support their operations. However, this has been met with resistance from some parents who are also facing economic hardships due to the pandemic.
The Kenya Parents Association (KPA) has urged the government to expedite the release of funds to schools and ensure accountability and transparency in their utilization. The association has also called for the waiver of exam fees for candidates sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) this year.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KSSHA) has appealed to the government to increase the capitation per student from Ksh 22,244 to Ksh 25,000 to cater for the increased costs of running schools amid the pandemic. The association has also asked the government to provide more support for schools in arid and semi-arid areas, where access to water, sanitation and electricity is a challenge.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for the education sector in Kenya, affecting over 15 million learners and 500,000 teachers. The government has put in place various measures to ensure the safety and continuity of learning, such
