State releases Sh48.4bn to public schools

The government has disbursed Sh48.4 billion as capitation for all public primary and secondary schools ahead of reopening for first term on Monday.

in a statement, the Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the amount represents 50 per cent of the total due for schools in the 2025 academic year.

This is as Migosi announced that 2024 KCSE results will be released ''within the first two weeks of January in keeping with tradition.''

Out of the amount disbursed, Sh4.1 billion has been sent to all public primary schools while Sh15.3 billion has been released to Day Junior Secondary Schools.

A total of Sh28.9 Billion has been disbursed to Day Secondary schools ahead of the beginning of the 2025 academic year.

The government's move to relate half of the money meant for public schools is meant to alleviate the chronic financial challenges that have dogged the institutions in the past.

The money will ensure that public schools will be able to keep learners in school without sending them home for fees as schools reopen on Monday.

"We are working with the National Treasury for the release of the exchequer, to facilitate timely disbursement,'' Ogamba said.

The CS said that in Term Two, the government will release 30 per cent of the capitation while the remaining 20 per cent will be disbursed in the Third Term.

Regarding the Grade 9 transition, the CS said the construction of 16,000 classrooms in public schools are at 93 per cent completion ahead of the reopening of schools.

Ogamba appealed to heads of institutions in schools where classrooms have not been completed to construct temporary structures to accommodate learners.

The CS also directed heads of schools to merge streams where possible to create space for the new learners in Grade 9 who are transiting to Junior secondary schools.

The CS said that 9.9 million textbooks have been dispatched to all schools countrywide ahead of the reopening of schools on Monday.

"The distribution is expected to be completed by Monday, January 6, 2025,'' Ogamba said.