MP Jayne Kihara slams govt for politicising school capitation
Naivasha Member of Parliament (MP) Jayne Kihara has accused the government of diverting education funds to economic empowerment programmes while schools grapple with delayed capitation.
Speaking on Friday, September 5, 2025, at a graduation ceremony in Naivasha town, the lawmaker expressed frustration that learners had already resumed classes while schools continued to struggle without the disbursement of capitation funds.
You might also like
“Capitation is not coming; it is delayed. The children have opened schools, and yet we can see a lot of squandering of money and resources in things they are calling empowerment,” Kihara said.
Strengthening the education system
She criticised the government for prioritising cash handouts and tokenistic programmes instead of strengthening the education system initiated by the late President Mwai Kibaki.
“If you are not empowering that child in the school, we don’t need to empower grownups by giving them beans and Ksh2,000. Even if it is Ksh10,000, it will not get anywhere; it will just get used. Ideally, it is to support this education system that was started by the late Mwai Kibaki. It is unfortunate that instead of improving it, we are finishing it,” Kihara said.
She further argued that government resources should be directed toward education, noting that delayed capitation payments risk crippling schools, particularly public institutions that rely heavily on government funding.
Her remarks come amid growing pressure from education stakeholders, including school heads and unions, who have warned that delays in capitation could undermine the smooth running of schools and lower the quality of learning.
The legislator further claimed that the government’s focus on empowerment programmes was more about political optics than genuine development.
Economic empowerment programmes
The Kenya Kwanza government, through Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, has been criss-crossing the country to hold economic empowerment forums targeting women’s groups.
The events have not only been held across the counties but also at the State House, drawing criticism from a section of Kenyans.
Businessman and politician Jimi Wanjigi raised concerns over the funding of the empowerment initiatives, questioning their legality if they are not captured within the national budget.
Speaking in a TV interview on Monday, August 18, 2025, Wanjigi emphasised that financial accountability must remain at the centre of all government spending. He warned that blurring the line between personal and public resources undermines trust in leadership and puts the country’s fiscal discipline at risk.
“The law is very clear; you can only spend money that has been budgeted for. So if empowerment is not a line item in the budget, are those our funds, or are they personal funds of people?” Wanjigi posed.
