Kithure Kindiki Praises Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru While Protesting Free Education Budget Cuts
- Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has assured the country that free primary and secondary education will be sustained
- He noted that the programme has shaped many lives since its inception in the late Mwai Kibaki's presidential tenure
- Kindiki recognised former president Uhuru Kenyatta for improving it, declaring that the Kenya Kwanza would not be the one to reverse the gains
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Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has recognised former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Mwai Kibaki for laying the foundation for free basic education in Kenya.
Source: Twitter
Kindiki said their legacies in education, particularly on the fees subsidy, shaped the lives of many from poor households.
Will Kenya Kwanza end free education?
He said that the Kenya Kwanza regime would not be the one to do the unthinkable by doing away with the programme.
The deputy president was speaking in light of a raging debate sparked by the National Treasury's hint at scrapping free basic education due to budget strains.
He said it would be unforgivable to slash the subsidy for basic education at both the primary and secondary levels.
Kindiki observed that Kibaki started the programme, and Uhuru improved it throughout his tenure, stating that it would be an unnecessary evil if the Kenya Kwanza government interfered with it.
"There is work that Kibaki and Uhuru did. This government will continue with that work and make it even better. Please ignore the naysayers. We cannot afford in this time in history to roll back the tremendous progress that our nation has made to make education accessible and affordable, especially at the primary and secondary levels," Kindiki said.
He promised that the current regime would work to perfect the model to accommodate the bulging enrollments across the country, including by making the necessary budgetary adjustments.
"I want to state here that the Kenya Kwanza Administration will go out of its way to make sure we do not roll back the gains our country has made in assuring free and compulsory primary education, which also includes secondary education... I want to assure you we will make all the necessary interventions to make sure that our education remains affordable, accessible, relevant, and of high quality," he stated.
Kindiki spoke in an empowerment forum in Bungoma on Saturday, July 26.
What did CS Mbadi say about free education budget?
Appearing before the National Assembly's departmental committee on education, the National Treasury CS cited the government’s expanding commitments for the decision to slice the budget for basic education.
Source: Twitter
He suggested that funds are needed in more pressing sectors besides education.
Consequently, the capitation for secondary schools would be lowered from KSh 22,244 to KSh 16,900 per student, leaving a shortfall of KSh 5,344 that parents are expected to cover.
Mbadi, however, promised that the budget would be readjusted in the event that the economy looks up to free more money.
How Mbadi defended himself
In light of the backlash from Kenyans, the CS came out to clarify his position.
Acknowledging that the education subsidy has benefited many, the CS stated that the distribution had never been uniform.
He claimed that the challenge of budget constraints had existed long before he took over the national purse.
Mbadi argued that not all learners have been catered for in the programme.
According to him, the budget has never been adjusted to accommodate the number of enrollments that have increased over the years.
He observed that each learner in senior secondary would get KSh 17,000 had the monies been distributed fairly across the country.
Such discrepancies have left some schools grappling with debts as they allow learners in, yet the government has not accounted for their individual education, even with the assumption that each learner is getting KSh 22,200 from the national government.
The CS also blamed the National Assembly for cutting the budget.
He said the Exchequer can only release what the National Assembly has approved.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
