Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli has raised questions over the whereabouts of KSh25 million meant for capitation to vocational training centers (VTCs).
Wakoli spoke this at St. Thaddeus Ndengelwa Secondary School when he accompanied Kanduyi MP John Makali to deliver a new bus at the school.
The Ford Kenya senator said the funds which were meant to support the running of VTCs across the county cannot be accounted for.
Wakoli is now demanding explanations from Governor Kenneth Lusaka’s administration.
The senator revealed that concerns over the missing funds emerged after he held a closed-door meeting with principals from various technical institutions in the county.
According to Wakoli, the principals disclosed that their institutions have not received any capitation from the county government for the last two years.
“On Wednesday, I had a meeting with principals of Vocational Training Centers in Bungoma and from our discussions, it was clear that the county government has never released capitation amounting to KSh25 million,” Wakoli said.
He added that the failure to release the funds has affected operations at the institutions, exposing students and staff to hardship.
The Senate Majority Whip further raised concern over the welfare of tutors claiming that many have stagnated in the same job groups for several years without promotions.
“For the last seven years, there have been no promotions for tutors in these institutions. It is very unfair. You cannot expect people to work without tools, without decent infrastructure and without motivation, yet these institutions are the foundation of skills development for this county,” Wakoli stated.
He faulted the county government for neglecting the VTC sector despite the billions of shillings allocated to Bungoma over the years.
“For the last three years alone, Bungoma County has received over KSh24 billion. We only have 89 technical institutions yet most of them are in bad shape,” he said.
Wakoli assured Bungoma residents that he would continue pushing Governor Lusaka and his administration to account for the missing KSh25 million.
He warned that the matter could be escalated if no satisfactory explanation is provided.
He also called on members of the Bungoma County Assembly to rise to the occasion and exercise their constitutional oversight mandate.
“The assembly must not remain silent. They have a duty to protect public resources and ensure funds meant for education are used for their intended purpose,” Wakoli said.
In her response, Bungoma County CEC for Education Engineer Wachiye rubbished Senator Wakoli’s sentiments saying that the department has money that will be disbursed to Vocational Training Centers (VTCs).
