Basic Education PS Dr Bellio Kipsang urges parliament to reinstate at least Sh 5 billion to cushion key national programs
Tindaret Lawmaker Julius Melly’s National Assembly Committee on Education have waken up to perturbing news that school feeding program will not be actualized and was forcefully taken away from State Department of Basic Education to Arid and Semi Arid Lands
In a rare admission and after thorough inquisitive questions from Members of the Parliament on what informed the decision to transfer the most key program under the stewardship of Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang, he admitted that the transfer was beyond the executive and sought interventions from parliament
But, MPs led by Chair Julius Melly, Mandera North Haron Abdi and Jerusha Momanyi demanded explanations from the PS and their counterpart [National Treasury] about the contentious transfer of school feeding program to another state department and more painful scrapping it’s budget entirety
“I can see a deliberate efforts for some people in the Treasury to ignite war between parents and government. Why would someone remove budget for key functions like exams, reducing capitation, invigilators, construction of classrooms and laboratories so that parents are forced to pay what they were not used to!.
Did the Treasury also convince you that the school feeding program will be done much better at ASALs than where it was domiciled,” Melly questioned about the unilateral decision taken by undisclosed senior government officials
According to PS Kipsang’ even after the Treasury reduced it’s budget by Ksh 15B from Sh142.8 billion sought to Sh121.3 billion for 2024/2025 FY , it shouldn’t have touched entire budget for school feeding program, examination, invigilations and construction ot classrooms in Junior Secondary School which amounts to Ksh 5.2 billion
“There is critical necessity for the national government to put up key infrastructure because enrolment is still growing without relying on our development partners. As we stand now Sh3.1 billion made for the school feeding program and another Ksh 770 million made for key operations in primary schools have been removed.
It’s upon the parliament, this committee and other relevant committees to reverse the decision made on school feeding program not withstanding how it was arrived at, and I want to leave it at that point, thank you very much,” Kipsang’ remarked
Mandera South MP Haro Abdul observed that as a beneficiary of the program, it would be tantamount to scrap the initiative since many areas in the country suffer from food insecurity and it’s the only the spice that attracts pool of learners in public schools
“We are eliciting another war against parents and learners because they won’t accept to pay for examination fees while it has been free. If parents and learners understands that the money for education has been removed then we wil face another backlash from them.
I’m a beneficiary of school feeding program and may be, if it wasn’t there, wouldn’t have been an MP today. Why would someone unilaterally scrap budget for critical programmes in schools that makes enrolment higher?,” Abdul demanded answers from responsible officers