Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has assured senators that the government will support schools struggling with inadequate infrastructure once more funds become available.
Appearing before the Senate, Dr. Ogamba was responding to questions from Tom Ojienda, the senator for Kisumu County, who sought clarification on plans by the Ministry of Education to improve facilities in several overcrowded schools.
Prof. Ojienda raised concerns over the situation at Nyakach Girls High School and Kisumu Boys High School, both of which have large student populations but limited learning facilities.
The two schools are facing shortages of classrooms, dormitories and science laboratories, a situation the senator said was affecting the learning environment for students.
In his response, Dr. Ogamba acknowledged that the ministry had earlier promised to support Nyakach Girls High School but noted that limited resources in the government’s infrastructure fund had delayed the plan.
“We made a promise to support Nyakach Girls, but because of fiscal constraints we have not had sufficient resources in the infrastructure fund to support all the schools that require assistance,” he told the Senate.
However, the CS assured lawmakers that the ministry remains committed to providing the necessary support as funds become available.
He added that the same consideration would apply to Kisumu Boys High School and other institutions across the country facing similar challenges.
Dr. Ogamba said the ministry is working to ensure available resources are distributed fairly among schools while addressing the growing demand for better learning facilities.
The CS also warned that county and sub-county education officials are not allowed to collect funds from schools meant for school-based activities.
Such actions, he said, would be considered illegal and would attract administrative action if reported.
At the same time, Dr. Ogamba said the government is working to strengthen the implementation of the Competency-Based Education system by integrating sports and arts into mainstream learning programmes so they can receive proper funding and support.
He noted that many schools seek external support for such activities because the funds they currently receive are not sufficient.
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