CS Education Julius Ogamba has told students who are set to join higher learning institutions across the country to shake their worries off, assuring them that a new funding model will be in place before September when they shall be joining institutions they’ve been placed into.
Speaking during his visit in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, on Thursday, Ogamba stated that the taskforce that was appointed and mandated to review the new funding model, is currently finalizing its report. According the CS, the taskforce’s report will detail recommendations that aim to address key challenges highlighted in the new funding model.
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“The report is being completed; they are finalizing it, and once it is done, we will discuss the recommendations therein and how they have dealt with the teething problems in the previous model. Come September, when the new cohort is joining, they will be utilizing the model that is fit for purpose without the challenges that the previous one has,” CS Ogamba said.
Ogamba emphasized that the recommendations that will be made by the presidential taskforce, seek to address the question of equitable distribution of the funds adding that the report will also address the concerns raised in a petition that led to the annulment of the new funding model by the High Court in Nairobi.
He revealed that the government will disburse capitation of Ksh.14 billion to learners next week to address funding in public institutions. According to the CS, the ministry takes this step, to ensure the learners stay in school. He explained that ministry had already engaged school heads to allow learners to continue with their studies uninterrupted until the capitation is released.
“We had indicated that the capitation was released, but there is a shortfall of Ksh.14 billion, which the ministry is working closely with the Treasury to ensure it is released…we are hoping the Ksh.14 billion can be released by next week,” he said.
His statement continued, “We are working to ensure that in future, the capitation is released on time so that the teachers and pupils do not experience the challenges they are going through. We have liaised with our head teachers not to send the students home because it is not the parents who pay the school fees, it is paid through government capitation.”
