Ksh29M given to 12 schools for children with disabilities
The National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK) yesterday issued Sh29.6 million to various special schools for infrastructural development in learning institutions for children with disabilities.
The chairperson of NFDK’s board of trustees, Kristina Kenyatta-Pratt (right), yesterday urged the institutions to adhere to the set timelines and be good stewards.
“Twelve years after initiation of flagship projects in 2009, the board has approved and disbursed funds to 153 projects across the counties. Some 124 of these are complete and handed over for use and the balance of 29 are at various stages of completion,” said Kristina.
She made the remarks yesterday in Nairobi during the signing of contracts with beneficiaries of the projects.
She said due diligence was done before the schools were picked. Schools that benefitted are Wajir Girls Integrated Primary, Wajir Full Primary, Mweiga Special School, Kaloleni Primary/small home for the physically challenges, Tala Boys Primary School and integrated programme, Embul-bul Primary, Eldoret School for the Hearing Impaired and Kapsabet Secondary School for the deaf. Yet others are Friends School for the Deaf Givavei, Namawanga Bahai Special Primary School, St Martin Kisoko Special School and Kibos School for the blind.
The approved amount for each school will be disbursed in three tranches.
“This is a partnership right from the beginning, right from the assessment to the completion and that is why we have a success rate because we are able to monitor the progress, identify any problems or challenges that may arise and we are able to step in before the problem becomes too big,” said Kristina.
Some of the facilities being undertaken by the Fund include dormitories, ablution blocks, classrooms and vocational training centres among others.
Schools that benefitted are Wajir Girls Integrated primary, Wajir Full primary, Mweiga Special School, Kaloleni primary school/small home for physical challenges, Tala Boys primary school and integrated programme, Embul-bul primary, Eldoret school for the hearing impairment and Kapsabet Secondary school for the deaf.
Others are Friends school for the deaf Givavei, Namawanga Bahai special primary school, St Martin Kisoko special school for mentally handicapped children and Kibos School for the blind.
During the contract signing, the learning institutions represented by their headteachers entered into formal contracts with NFDK.
A total of 24 institutions have been earmarked for funding this financial year.
From 2009/2010 to 2012/15 Financial Year, NFDK set aside Sh25 million annually for 10 projects countrywide
The Fund sponsors three or four projects per county with each receiving Sh2.5million.
“In the 2015/16 financial year, the Government significantly increased funding from Sh100 million to Sh200 million thus giving the board flexibility of increasing the funding from Sh25 million annually to Sh75 million. This meant that the fund increased the beneficiaries from 10 to 24 projects,” she said.
Kristina also told the schools to strictly adhere to work projects and plans saying that any variations are not permitted.
“Work closely with the Fund’s clerk of works who will be inspecting the quality of the projects. Involve the Ministry of public works to ensure adherence to laid down rules and regulations,” she added.
The approved amount for each beneficiary school will be disbursed in three tranches, with the first disbursed yesterday while the second and three tranches will be done upon successful completion of each preceding phase.
