Several schools in Bungoma have threatened to reject learners who are under county scholarships due to unpaid fees.
While learners have been enjoying their half-term break the Bungoma County Government has been blamed for not submitting school fees for their scholarship program that covers around 7,000 Form one students.
Rose Situma the Chief Officer for Education and Vocational Training said that the funds available are not enough to cover the program.
In a letter dated the 18th of April, Situma requested financial advice from the Chief Officer of Finance.
“The 7,000 students in Form 1 are together with the continuing 4,500. Around Kshs. 444 million is needed. At the moment we only have Kshs. 60 million,” read part of the letter to the Chief Officer of Finance.
The purpose of the correspondence was to try and find a way forward because the pressure is only piling up among parents and even schools.
On the other hand, the county assembly summoned Education Executive Betty Manyeku more than three times to discuss the issue and attempt to find a solution. However, Manyeku has declined all those summons.
On their part, the Budget and Appropriations Committee blamed the poor implementation of the county scholarship on the executive, led by Governor Wycliffe Wangamati.
The Committee’s Chairperson Jack Wambulwa said that it is not right for the governor to award scholarships beyond the amount budgeted for the same.
According to him, there is only Kshs. 60 Million is available in the budget but the scholarships issued exceed the amount by more than five times.
The committee expressed regret that many students enrolled in the scholarship could be turned away from their schools due to non-payment.
“Where will they get the funds from yet the scholarships issued are more than the amount allocated?” wondered Wambulwa.
Many parents whose children benefit from the program expressed worry over their children being potentially turned away due to having fees arrears.
They claimed that schools were no longer accepting learners based on just promissory notes.
Some parents even reported that their children had been told to bring school fees when they report from half-term.
Some schools rejected the county’s promissory notes during Form 1 admission meaning parents will have to sacrifice a lot more financially.
There have also been reports that even the continuing students have huge fees arrears with some of them even in Form Four.