Schools send students home as State withholds capitation funds

Nairobi, Kenya — A growing number of public primary and secondary schools across Kenya are sending learners home because government capitation funds have not been released in time.
Key details:
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has delayed disbursing billions of shillings in capitation payments for public schools, citing a nationwide verification exercise of schools and learners to eliminate ‘ghost’ schools and inflated enrolment figures.
According to a PS briefing, only about 3,000 out of 22,000 schools had received their allocations early during one payout cycle because they had submitted required data.
School heads report that the delay has left them with no option but to send students home, unable to pay suppliers, maintain feeding programmes, or cover basic operational costs.
Employee unions — including Kenya Union of Post‑Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) — have warned of potential school closures if the funds are not released.
The problem disproportionately affects day schools, which depend heavily on government capitation rather than boarding‑fees or other income sources.
Government stance & verification efforts:
The MoE defends the delay saying it must verify and confirm the number of learners and schools before wiring funds.
The audit is driven by concerns raised by the Auditor‑General and MPs about fraudulent payments to non‑existent schools.
The disbursement schedule has also been changed: funds are to be released in phases (50% in Term 1, 30% Term 2, 20% Term 3)