The SUPPLEMENT EU FUNDED PEACE PROJECT LEnhancingink governance for all LAUNCHED — Pages 15-18 January 2010 Issue No. 063 Kshs 40/= Free Education in Peril As mega scandals rock the heavily funded public sector By FAITH MUIRURI assive theft of Inside money meant for free education under the Kenya MEducation Sector Support Pro- gramme (KESSP) now threat- ens the legacy of the Kibaki ad- ministration. Tracking The survival of the programme education budget is in jeopardy as the impact of the mega scam trickles down to — Pg 4 learning institutions, which are still grappling with failure to dis- burse over Kshs. 8 billion to sup- port the Free Primary Education (FPE) last year. At stake is the future of the Politics of chicken programme as donors, led by the United Kingdom’s Department — Pg 8 for International Development (DFID), threaten to withdraw funding in a drastic move aimed at pushing the government to re- cover the Kshs. 175 million lost Sand hardship in fraudulent deals. disaster The storm set off by a fiduci- WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? The FPE is in jeopardy and so is the fate of hundreds of children ary risk audit report by the Min- who have benefitted from the programme since inception in 2003. — Pg 10 istry of Finance has turned into a volcanic landscape laced with hot to 600 Primary Schools for the deepens: Kshs. 1.8 million was istry of Higher Education, Sci- red-hot lava as fresh audit queries construction of classrooms, din- alleged to have been fraudulently ence and Technology (MoHEST) pointing to a possible embezzle- ing halls and dormitories has allocated to seven ineligible pri- were still on course, donors have ment of a whooping Kshs. 9 bil- not been properly accounted for. vate primary schools. vowed not to relent from their lion through questionable deals The auditors could not find any Even though the government resolve to withhold funding until Sugar sector under and accounting. evidence to show that the schools remains adamant that the sector such a time when the money lost threat But that is not all. An addi- had requested for the money, let programmes, which cover the through fraudulent dealings is re- tional Kshs. 2.7 billion allocated alone receiving it. And the rot Ministry of Education and Min- — Pg 13 Turn to Page 2, Col. 1 Church issues CoE urged to review threat proposed elections law — Pg 14 By WANJIKU NJUGUNA yeki who is the executive direc- litical representation of women, The CKRC draft proposed tor of the Kenya Human Rights people with disabilities and the mixed member proportional Alert over fake THE Harmonised Draft Con- Commission (KHRC), the draft youth. representation. The Bomas draft stitution has been faulted with did not give any directions for a She points out that the Con- proposed direct representa- drugs critics citing the electoral system more proportional system. She stitution of Kenya Review Com- tion (constituency-based), but — Pg 28 which they say did not reflect the says that the draft largely bor- mission (CKRC) draft, the Bo- with the direct representation of wishes and aspirations of major- rows from the current system, mas draft and the so-called Wako women from each district and ity of Kenyans. despite provisions at three lev- draft propose slightly different According to Muthoni Wan- els, with clear stipulations on po- electoral systems. Turn to Page 5, Col. 5 The Link, January 2010 2 EDUCATION Free Primary Education in Peril From page 1 The original KESSP 1 costing which has been the basis of planning is shown in Table 1 below: and instead channelled excess covered. amounts of money to schools The KESSP programme after which they would ask the largely draws its lifeline from schools to deposit the extra cash development partners who have to private accounts. overwhelmingly supported it and And to validate their corrupt injected funds to the tune of over deals, the officers falsified claims Kshs. 22 billion since inception using fabricated receipts to indi- in 2005. Under KESSP Primary cate that the money in question school enrolments have shot up had been spent on workshops, from 5.9 million in 2002 to 8.6 hiring of training halls and lap- million in 2008. In the current fi- tops. They inflated prices of nancial year, the government had goods and services, authorized allocated Kshs. 134,662,914,608 double allocation and disburse- to the Ministry of Education, with ment of funds to undeserving Kshs. 17,654,646,708 being ear- schools. And as if that was not marked for development. enough, they introduced of new The UK which is Kenya’s sec- programmes such as school nu- ond biggest bilateral donor has trition and mobile schools in arid been able to commit Kshs. billion and semi arid areas. towards the project since incep- But contrary to the numerous tion in 2005. An appraisal report audit queries, the Ministry of Ed- by Chief Finance Officer at the ucation’s long-serving Permanent Ministry of Education Alice Nge- Secretary, Prof Karega Mutahi, chu, the International Develop- categorically denied that funds ment Agency (IDA- World) has Table 3 below shows the JFA eligible categories list and the agreed levels of funding in the current F/Y (2009/10) were misappropriated at the head- by the end of last financial year quarters. He insisted that the only pumped in a substantive Kshs. money that goes to the Ministry 4.69 billion while the Canadian directly is meant for monitoring, International Development Agen- evaluation and capacity develop- cy (CIDA) committed Kshs. 1.85 ment activities. But even this too billion. has queries over their utilization. Belgium’s (VVOB) has so The PS explained that funds in far given funds totalling to Kshs. the pool are deposited in an Ex- 0.38 billion, UNICEF channelled chequer Account under the Min- Kshs. 0.50 billion and Africa De- istry of Finance at the Central velopment Bank (ADB /ADF) al- Bank of Kenya. They are then re- located Kshs. 0.07. leased to the Ministry’s Commer- The financial support by Or- cial Bank Account from where ganization of Petroleum Export- they are disbursed directly to ing Countries (OPEC) stood individual school bank accounts at Kshs. 058billion, while Fast within 48 hours of receipt from Truck Initiative (FTI) gave Kshs. Central Bank through Electronic 8.59billion. The United States Table 3 continues Funds Transfer (EFT). Agency for International Devel- “Thus only School Manage- opment (U SAID) offered Kshs. ment Committees (SMCs) with 0.22 billion while the World Food respect to Free Primary Education Programme (WFP) Kshs. and Ja- and Boards of Governors (BOGs) pan gave 0.20billion and Kshs. with respect to Secondary Educa- 0.15billion respectively. tion have access to the money at Of the donors, the UK is em- school level,” he asserts phatic that support for the second However, the stunning rev- phase of the programme which is elations are a case of reckless scheduled for July will squarely plunder that permeates the entire depend on whether officials im- education sector. More damning plicated in the fraud are prosecut- reports indicate that the public ed, lost monies are recovered and has been losing an average of financial management systems Kshs. 92 million every year since improved. It is however not clear the programme was launched in if the other donors will follow 2003. suit. An analysis undertaken by In a swift move that has sent structural development, Kshs. the disbursement of funds from construct and to renovate existing the Kenya National Parents As- shivers in the spines of the min- 800 million for Early Childhood both development partners and physical facilities and equipment sociation, indicate that ministry istry mandarins, DFID has imme- Development Centres (ECDs), the government has had negative in various public learning institu- officials have been varying the diately halted plans to disburse Kshs. 250million was to support implications on the projects some tions in the country to increase amounts released to schools and two further payments totalling Non Formal Education, Kshs. of which are still running behind access, equity and quality in Pri- pocketing the difference. to Kshs. 1.8 billion. They insist 120million was set aside for spe- schedule. mary and Secondary Education. Although the PS tells Kenyans that release of the funds will de- cial needs education, allocation The government unveiled the At the end of the programme, that all is well and that not child’s pend on the government response to Adult basic education stood KESSP initiative in 2005 as a 165 new classrooms were to be education will be interfered with, to the audit report. This action is at Kshs. 300 million, while the joint venture that comprised of constructed during the implemen- Primary school head teachers likely to cause serious headaches School Feeding, Health and Nu- development partners, civil soci- tation period. Distribution was to countrywide have threatened to for the government because the trition was to be funded to the ety, communities and the private be based on priority needs across down their tools this term unless state’s contribution to the pro- tune of Kshs. 745million sector to help in the realization the country with the benefitting the government releases the mon- gramme has been minimal. For Currently the programme of the Universal Primary Educa- schools identified primarily on a ey which was supposed to have instance allocation for the cur- which was set to wind up in tion (UPE) and Education for All comprehensive analysis of vali- been sent to schools in 2009. rent financial year stood at Kshs. 2010 has been operating in huge (EFA) by 2015.