Govt Issues Notice on Nationwide Crackdown on Select Businesses

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has issued a warning that the government will revoke all licences and close down businesses selling alcohol and other unlawful products located near learning institutions across the country.
Speaking in Murang’a County on Thursday during the inaugural graduation ceremony of Murang’a Technical Training Institute, Ogamba revealed that a multi-agency team has already been set up to conduct an audit aimed at identifying such establishments.
The CS emphasised that once the audit is complete, the government will move swiftly to cancel licences and shut down the bars, citing the welfare and safety of learners as the top priority.
“The government has seriously taken the issue of bars near schools. An audit is taking place as we speak, and those licences that have been allocated to bars next to schools will be revoked and cancelled,” he said.
He further stated that the crackdown was being handled under a whole-of-governmentapproach to ensure comprehensive enforcement.
“That issue is being undertaken as a whole government approach to ensure that we protect our students, and we are going to resolve it,” he added.
At the same event, Ogamba addressed concerns over delayed school funding, confirming that the third term capitation funds had already been released to the Ministry by the Treasury.
“I want to confirm to you that the capitation for the various schools has already been released by Treasury, and the Ministry will be releasing the same before the end of the week,” Ogamba stated.
Earlier this week, Treasury CS John Mbadi said that the Treasury would release a total of Ksh23 billion to all schools and additional funds to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) following a directive from President William Ruto.
The CS stated that the government will also ramp up efforts to mobilise resources and increase capitation for education, a problem he claimed hashaunted the country’s education sector for seven years now.
The government, through the capitation, pays Ksh22,144 per secondary school student each year, divided into three tranches: Ksh11,122 in the first term, Ksh6,673 in the second term, and Ksh4,439 in the third term.
Additionally, the government allocates Ksh1,420 per primary school pupil annually under the Free Primary Education (FPE) capitation scheme and Ksh15,043 for junior secondary learners.