Stench from FPE Fund saga gets worse

That achieving universal primary education is the second component of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed upon by 192 UN member states and 23 international organisations cannot be gainsaid. The MDGs have a timeline for achievement by 2015 and are all focused on tackling mankind’s biggest challenge — that of reducing extreme poverty.

Last year, all eyes were on Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta as he read his first national budget. He confounded all skeptics and pronounced a raft of good news for stimulating the economy, especially the Education ministry, that saw an increase in allocation of Sh2 billion.

Money was allocated for mobile computer laboratories in each constituency to be used by schools. Additional money allocated for free primary (FPE) and subsidised secondary school education such as Sh1.5b for upgrading rural schools and Sh1.3b for recruiting more teachers on contract to improve quality of education.

In total, education carted away Sh134.6 billion as a first, giant step towards realising Kenya’s long-term objectives encapsulated in Vision 2030.

These are all mini-steps in realising President Kibaki’s main campaign pledge to ensure above 80 per cent literacy levels and eliminate illiteracy. Particularly impressed was former US President Bill Clinton who said he would like to meet Kibaki because of his FPE vision. Many development partners jumped on board and chipped in to make free education a reality.

Kimani Maruge

Indeed, reports from across the country show that some districts have realised an almost 100 per cent enrolment rate since the introduction of Universal Free Education.

Kenya went on to make an appearance in the Guinness Book of World Records following the enrolment of Mzee Kimani Maruge — the world’s oldest pupil.

It was, therefore, a sad revelation that some Education ministry officials and head teachershad colluded to skim close to Sh100 million of these funds in spurious and unnecessary projects.

As a result, there may be no KCPE child stars telling us this Christmas of their dream careers. Reason being, both minister Sam Ongeri and his accounting officer and PS, Karega Mutahi have turned into two blind mice.

They are seeing no evil and they are saying as much in increasingly baffling and demeaning public pronouncements.

Prof Karega’s assertion that the amount alleged to have been misappropriated is ‘only’ Sh91 million and not Sh100 million lacked decorum and smirks of a bloated ego.

The PS did in a single sentence besmirch the President’s pet project and singular star achievement. He laughs in the face of the President’s New Year’s Eve directive that Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission investigate and bring the culprits to book.

The long-serving PS makes light of the contribution of development partners who are querying the misuse of cash donated by their taxpayers in Europe and the US by saying their contribution is negligible and that a freeze would not dent the free education programme.

He particularly galls the taxpayer by appearing to suggest that since the bulk of the money is from Kenyan pockets, it becomes fair game for squandering. What then became of the amounts that were to be refunded? Who was bringing it back? Why did they take away the money in the first place? Who has accused the minister and/or his PS of pilferage?

lords of impunity

Nobody. They owe it to their positions in society and Government to step aside as investigators get to the bottom of this sorry cradle theft through a forensic audit.

We shall not tire to shine the torch into the cracks through which the lords of impunity bleed the system as long as it snatches food and books from the desks of pupils.

To quote Chilean poet and educator Lucila de MarÌa y Alcayaga, who wrote under the pseudonym Gabriela Mistral: "We are guilty of many crimes, but our worst sin is abandoning the child; neglecting the foundation of life. Many of the things we need can wait; the child cannot. We cannot answer Tomorrow. Her name is Today."

Do the right thing professors.