FILE| NATION These parents resorted to buying secondhand school textbooks from a vendor off Digo Road, Mombasa due to the high rate of inflation. According to the vendor Rua Konde (right), customers are allowed to exchange a book for another and pay from between Sh50 and Sh150 depending on the quality and size of books being exchanged.
By BENJAMIN MUINDI bmuindi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Wednesday, January 4 2012 at 22:00
Posted Wednesday, January 4 2012 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
- Ministry of Education told to tighten auditing of books supplied to institutions
Publishers have accused book distributors of colluding with some public school head teachers to steal free education money.
The Kenya Publishers Association has subsequently asked the Education Ministry to tighten the auditing of books and stationery supplied to schools.
Association chairman Lawrence Njagi claimed that some distributors invoiced schools for books and stationery they had not supplied and later shared the cash with head teachers.
“If you visit most of the publishers’ stores today, you will find heaps of books that have not been supplied to schools as were ordered by distributors,” Mr Njagi said.
He was reacting to a decision by the distributors not to supply schools with books and stationery until they were paid a Sh2 billion debt. (READ: Back to school, but no books available)
The debt is said to have accrued from last year’s supply of books and stationery under the free education programme where the schools were to pay after disbursement of funds.
“We agree with the distributors because their members are unable to pay publishers due to the schools’ inability to pay as well,” said Mr Njagi.
He went on: “We urge the government to release the money otherwise it will compromise quality of both free primary and free secondary education programmes.”
Kenya Booksellers and Stationery Association on Tuesday said it would not extend credit to schools until the debt was paid.
“We are tired of being tossed from one office to another and the only option we have is to stop further supplies to schools,” association chairman John Mbugua said.
He, however, did not comment on the allegation that his members issued invoices on non-existent supplies to schools to swindle them of free learning funds.
But both Mr Njagi and Mr Mbugua agreed that the money allocated to schools is not enough considering high inflation.
“We urge the government to increase the vote per child to enable the schools run smoothly,” Mr Njagi said.
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