Former nominated Member of Parliament (MP) Wilson Sossion has urged the government to stop routing sports funds through education offices and instead wire them directly to schools.
Speaking during a TV interview on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Sossion said schools are the rightful hubs of sporting activity, not ministry offices. He warned that the current funding model has created confusion and opened the door to mismanagement.
“Sports is domiciled in schools, not in education offices,” he said. “Schools should decide which sporting activities to engage in, and any money meant for sports should be wired directly to them,” he said
Sossion decried what he termed the ministry’s “clawback” of essential school functions, including textbook procurement and sports management. He referenced international guidelines like the ILO-UNESCO Recommendation 60, which mandates teachers to choose the textbooks they use, as an example of how the ministry has overridden best practices.
“Procurement of books should be done at the school level. When the ministry takes over roles like these, including sports, it creates unnecessary confusion and undermines accountability,” he added.
Sossion raised concerns over alleged double funding demands, questioning why some schools are being asked to pay additional money to education offices for sports activities already allocated funds.
“As far as I know, events like drama, music, and games are funded through organised associations like the heads’ associations. Retaining that structured system is important,” he said.
Transparency as education funding rises
He called for a return to transparency and accountability, which he believes have been lost in the education sector.
“We have thrown transparency and accountability out the window. We are becoming more confused in managing the education system,” he warned.
On university education, Sossion highlighted the government’s increased allocation to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), from Ksh13 billion in 2022 to Ksh41 billion in the upcoming financial year, as evidence of commitment. But he stressed the need for prudent management.
“The government is committed. But we must be prudent and accountable with how the money is used so we can track it and answer public concerns,” he said.
Sossion also applauded efforts to employ more teachers, citing an additional Ksh7 billion in the current budget to convert 20,000 intern teachers into permanent roles, alongside onboarding another 20,000.
While appreciating Kenya’s rising education budget, currently over Ksh700 billion, he cautioned against misuse.
“Let us not promote corruption. Let’s ensure the money reaches student services directly, especially under the new student-centered university funding model that favours learners from poor households,” Sossion concluded.
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
