This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
On Tuesday, the government finally released the long-awaited school funds, but thousands of broke board teachers will continue to suffer for some time.
Thousands of primary schools, their suppliers, and workers are also left in dire straits as the cash released only covers free secondary education.
According to a circular by Education PS Belio Kipsang', the funds should be used to maintain and improve school infrastructure, pay non-teaching staff, cover administration costs, and National Health Insurance Fund Eduafya funds.
The schools will receive Sh500 for maintenance and improvement of infrastructure per student, Sh3,226 for personal emoluments and administrative costs per learner, and Sh675 for Eduafya programme per student.
However, the ministry has allocated Sh750 per student for salaries of teachers employed by the boards of management (BoM), but the funds will be retained until data submitted by principals is verified.
As a result, the BoM teachers will only receive a five-month pay starting August to December, with each earning Sh10,000 per month, leaving them without salaries for May, June, and July.
Dr Kipsang' stated that the funds will only be paid to teachers who worked as at March 15, 2020, and that payment should be made monthly, not in advance.
Several headteachers who spoke to the Nation lamented that the funds released for infrastructure are not enough to prepare schools for reopening.
