PS BITOK CONFIRMS 29,000 SCHOOLS STILL AWAITING CAPITATION FUNDS

Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Bitok has confirmed that 29,000 schools are still awaiting the disbursement of their capitation funds. Speaking at Machakos Teachers Training College (TTC), Bitok noted that out of 32,000 schools, only 3,000 have so far received full funding. He, however, assured that all schools will get their funds before the end of next week. “So far, 3,000 schools have received their capitation after verification confirmed the accuracy of their student data,” said Bitok. “We expect that by the end of next week, all 32,000 schools will have been funded.”

He attributed the delays to the ongoing verification of school accounts as well as infrastructural challenges in remote areas. Bitok highlighted Masii Boys High School in Machakos County as one of the first institutions to receive its funds after completing the verification process. “I am pleased that during our visit to Masii, the principal confirmed that the money had been credited to the school account and operations were back on track,” he said.

The PS emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring smooth school operations, urging stakeholders to remain patient as the verification exercise is finalized. He assured that verification teams are working around the clock to speed up the process. According to Bitok, secondary schools have shown the highest compliance, followed by junior schools, while primary schools lag behind, largely due to internet and technological challenges. He explained that the exercise seeks to curb cases of ghost schools, which were flagged earlier by the Auditor General and Parliament.

“We had to verify the data to guarantee that every shilling reaches the rightful school and learner. This is about accountability to the Kenyan child and the nation,” he stressed. To strengthen transparency, schools have been directed to submit learners’ Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI) from birth certificates, registration numbers, and certified bank account details through their sub-county education offices. The Ministry of Education has extended the submission deadline to Friday, September 12, 2025, to allow institutions yet to comply enough time to finalize their data.