Debts driving CBC contractors into depression
Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classroom at D.E.B Secondary School in Nakuru County on January 05, 2023. The contractors engaged in the construction of CBC classrooms across the country are choking under bank debts as the government delays settling their dues days to the end of the financial year.
Contractors who bagged multi-billion-shilling tenders to construct Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classrooms are choking under bank debts as the government delays settling their dues days to the end of the financial year.
The contractors who handled phase two of the project, which concluded in August last year, have detailed their struggles in servicing bank loans, even as others fall deep into depression.
Phase two of the project comprised the construction of 3,500 classrooms, each at a standard cost of Sh778,000, translating to a bill of Sh2.7 billion.
“The situation is so bad, the banks have come for me,” said Ogutu Ayot, a contractor based in Nairobi.
Joan (surname withheld for privacy reasons), a contractor who constructed two classrooms at Woodad Langalanga Secondary School and another two at Enaiposha Girls High School in Nakuru County, says the debts have pushed her back to her parent’s house.
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For Debra (surname withheld), the State owes her Sh3.5 million for the five CBC classrooms constructed in Siaya County— one at Ramba High School, two at St Mathews Kandaria and two others at Tuju Secondary School.
“A friend’s car and lorry was repossessed because they are not able to pay loans,” said a contractor that sought anonymity.
The contractors say the last communication regarding the fate of their payment was made sometime in March when they were asked to submit paperwork to sub-county offices.
The government set out to construct 10,000 classrooms ahead of learners transiting to Grade Seven under the CBC in January 2023, marking the start of the Junior Secondary level.
Local contractors were sought to implement phase one of the project comprising 6,500 classrooms that concluded in April 2022, paving the way for the second phase that comprised 3,500 classes.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang did not respond to our questions by the time of going to press regarding plans to pay contractors for phase two of the project.
Phase one encountered hiccups when a section of contractors abandoned the sites citing the high cost of construction materials and underfunding.
In 2021, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the new classrooms be built by local contractors to provide space for the 1.2 million Grade Six learners transiting to junior secondary school.
He said the venture would facilitate 100 percent transition for the pioneer CBC class. More than 8.1 million children are enrolled in the new education system.
The rollout of the CBC started in 2018, introducing disruptive changes where elementary education is divided into pre-primary and primary education, taking two and six years respectively.
Grade Seven learners— the pioneer class under the CBC— are currently domiciled in existing primary schools– putting to question the rationale for constructing the classrooms in secondary schools.
Under CBC, elementary education is divided into pre-primary and primary education, taking two and six years, respectively. Junior secondary starts from Grade Seven up to Grade Nine.
