Written by John Kabaka
2012-08-02 18:38:00
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Dozens of participants from the primary section from Kakamega County are unlikely to perform at this year's edition of the Kenya National Music Festival due to begin next week over lack of funds for the upkeep of participating teams.
West Fm found out that the ten district education officers in the expansive county had been instructed to liase with stakeholders and mobilize resources to fund the transport cost as well as accommodation of the participants while in Meru County, where the music fiesta is to be held.
Last evening, the Kakamega Central District Education Officer Mabale Indiatsi was locked up in meetings with the county officials of the Kenya primary schools heads association Kepsha to try to reach out to potential politicians to fund the trip to Meru.
Similarly, financial hiccups are believed to have hit the counties of Vihiga and Busia after the newly posted county education chiefs advised that teams find their way to the festival.
This in spite the fact that, the government funds co-curricular activity under the Free Primary Education budget.
Last week the Kakamega County Director of Education Tom Majani claimed that the FPE was a mirage and advised the leadership of the region to forget about it. But reached for comment over the travel arrangement for primary school teams, Majani quipped that DEO's were handling the matter.
Kakamega county Kepsha secretary David Ikunza told the press when reached for comment that the travel plan was almost grounded because there were no funds, a statement contradicted by his DEO Mabale who claimed that the problem in his district is settled.
“We have talked to mheshimiwa who has agreed to give us Sh.100, 000 for the travels. Our budget was Sh.265, 000,” he said not explaining where would source for extra funds.
A resolution of the Provincial education board chaired by the PC passed the responsibility of funding cocurricular activities in primary schools in western region to parents, allowing the district education boards to determine the amount each pupil has to pay annually.
In kakamega Central, all pupils in primary schools had to clear the co-curricular fee of sh.57 before they were allowed to sit for the end of the first term examinations. Yesterday however, Mabale claimed that parents refused to pay up the levy. Switch to Our Mobile Site |
