Dozens of students attending the ongoing Kenya Music Festival have been left stuck after the Ministry of Education failed to release facilitation funds on time, forcing schools to hold last-minute fundraisers and triggering outrage in Parliament.

The festival, running from August 4 to 14, has been overshadowed by complaints of schools pulling out, learners stranded at venues, and a general lack of financial support.

Members of Parliament accused Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba of ignoring a well-known annual event and abandoning participating schools.

During a heated session in Parliament, Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba, who also chairs the Education Committee, criticised the ministry’s failure to prepare in advance despite knowing the festival is held every year.

“Mr Speaker, as of today, midday, schools are still desperately fundraising just to attend the national festivals. This is not a new event. It’s planned every year, yet here we are again. The Ministry has not communicated how much money is being sent, when it will be sent, or if it will all be sent. The Cabinet Secretary owes this House and the public a clear explanation,” Milemba said.

He went on to condemn the ministry's denial of corruption claims raised over the years, particularly regarding deductions by education officers.

“On the issue of the money that is deducted by the sub-county directors and county directors, the CS has said no such deductions are made. But the truth on the ground is that all the time when funding goes to schools, principals and head teachers are asked to take part of the money back to the Ministry,” Milemba added.

In response, CS Ogamba admitted that co-curricular funding remains inadequate and blamed delays from the National Treasury for disrupting school participation in national events like the music festival.

“It is important to acknowledge the challenges that impact the effective use of these resources. The high cost of national representation strains school budgets, and delays in disbursement of funds by the National Treasury affect timely facilitation, forcing schools to bridge funding gaps. The specialised events like music festivals and performing arts require costumes and instruments, which demand resources beyond the standard learner allocation,” Ogamba said.

The CS noted that public primary schools receive Sh76 per learner every year for co-curricular activities under the Free Primary Education programme, while secondary schools get Sh1,500 per learner under the Free Day Secondary Education programme.

However, he clarified that this money is not set aside for specific events like music festivals or sports.

“The Sh76 and Sh1,500 allocations are not specifically assigned to events like ball games or music festivals. Schools are expected to prepare their own budgets based on their capacity and the activities they intend to participate in,” he said.

Ogamba further explained that the Ministry retains a portion of the capitation Sh40 per learner in primary and Sh500 in secondary, for planning and support at different administrative levels.

“These funds are consolidated and channelled to regional, county, and sub-county offices to facilitate activities at those levels. The remaining amount is sent directly to schools. However, it is important to recognise the challenges that affect the effective use of these resources,” he said.

Despite his explanation, many lawmakers remained dissatisfied and urged the ministry to immediately assist stranded learners and commit to fully funding future national co-curricular events.