The Treasury has reallocated Sh1 billion from the budget of the State Department for Education to the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) for the construction of junior secondary school (JSS) learners’ classrooms.
The Treasury had allocated Sh3.379 billion in the financial year 2023–24 under the State Department for Basic Education for building classrooms and integrated learning resource centres within the JSS.
The Supplementary Estimates I for the financial year 2023–24 show that the State Department for Economic Planning budget has an additional Sh1 billion under development expenditure.
“Additional funds amounting to Sh1 billion have been provided for construction of junior secondary school classrooms in constituencies,” Economic Planning PS James Muhati told Parliament.
“The increased allocation under development expenditure is mainly to cater for the construction of junior secondary school learners’ classrooms through the NG-CDF programme.”
The State Department for Economic Planning holds the Sh53.5 billion budget for NG-CDF.
“The ministry has allocated varying amounts (Sh3.379 billion) to all constituencies based on Grade Seven enrollment, and each constituency will match a shilling for a shilling,” said Yusuf Mbuno, NG-CDF chief executive, in a letter to MPs.
“The 2023/24 financial year constituency project proposals must have the input of the Ministry of Education as a unique requirement for approval by the NG-CDF board.”
Mr Mbuno directed all constituencies to ensure that NG-CDF committees incorporate sub-county directors of education and deputy county commissioners in identifying the beneficiary schools and implementing the projects.
The top five beneficiary counties are Bungoma (Sh164.14 million), Nairobi (Sh148.57 million), Kisii (Sh120.78 million), and Kilifi (Sh118.4 million).
Counties that received the least share are Lamu (Sh11.8 million), Marsabit (Sh19.2 million), Mandera (Sh24.4 million), Laikipia (36.3 million), and Mombasa (Sh46.66 million).
The top beneficiary constituencies include Mt Elgon with Sh25.18 million, Alego Usonga (Sh24.12 million), Naivasha (Sh23.132 million), Magarini (Sh21.2 million), Tongaren (Sh21.2 million), and Kilifi North (Sh21 million).
The least benefiting constituencies are Eldas (Sh1.27 million), Mandera West, Lafey, Dadaab, and Lagdera each with Sh1.2 million, Balambala (Sh1.8 million), Tarbaj (Sh1.9 million), Banisa (Sh2 million) and Turkana East (Sh2.78 million).
The constituencies that got the lion’s share is Kanduyi (Sh25.9 million), while Lagdera, Lafey, and Fafi got Sh1.2 million.
A good move this is. Will the primary school heads still be the admins of JSS or principals shall be deployed?