By JANE WAITHIRA
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has accused the government of deliberately undermining the country’s education sector through reduced capitation and delayed disbursement of funds to schools.
Nyoro said the persistent reduction and delayed release of capitation funds are hurting schools and could ultimately compromise the quality of education.
Speaking in Kiharu, the legislator claimed that schools have received only about Sh11,000 per learner, an amount he said is insufficient to meet their operational needs.
“The government has been delaying the release of capitation funds to schools, and when the money is eventually disbursed, it is always less than the required amount,” Nyoro said.
“This is a trend that has persisted for several years and has left learning institutions burdened with huge debts,” he added.
Nyoro challenged the government to be candid about its intentions regarding the education sector and to admit if it can no longer sustain the free education programme.
He said the programme, introduced about two decades ago by former President Mwai Kibaki, was intended to ensure every child has access to quality education regardless of their socio-economic background.
He argued that parents are increasingly being forced to shoulder the cost of education because of inadequate government funding.
“If schools do not receive enough money to purchase learning materials, the quality of education will be compromised, and this will undermine the country’s future,” he said.
“If we fail in education, even if we build roads and other infrastructure, it will be of little value because we will not have the skilled people needed to utilise them,” he added.
Nyoro criticised government officials for offering explanations instead of releasing the funds.
“We do not want explanations. In fact, they do not need to respond to me. The only thing we want is for the money to be sent to schools to facilitate smooth learning,” he said.
“As a leader, you do not have the luxury of giving explanations. Your responsibility is to deliver on what you promised,” he added.
The MP further said that if the government is unable to adequately manage the education sector, those responsible should resign and allow others with the capacity to take over.
“If you are unable to deliver, there is no need to wait until the next election. You should go home now,” he said.
Nyoro maintained that education is one of the country’s most critical pillars and vowed to continue pushing for adequate funding for the sector.
A few weeks ago, the MP also claimed that the government had reduced the education budget by Sh50 billion in the approved 2026/27 financial year.
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