Education gets Sh702.7bn in 2025/26 budget amid capitation woes, free learning concerns

Kenya’s education sector has been allocated Sh702.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year—28 per cent of the Sh4.29 trillion national budget—as the government pledges continued support amid rising concerns over delayed funding, mounting debt, and the sustainability of free education.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will receive the lion’s share of Sh387.2 billion, including Sh7.2 billion earmarked for the recruitment of intern teachers and Sh980 million for capacity building under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

While presenting the budget estimates to Parliament on Thursday, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi affirmed the government’s commitment to continued investment in education to enhance learning outcomes and promote equal opportunities for all learners.

“The allocation for TSC will include Sh7.2 billion for recruitment of intern teachers and Sh980 million for capacity building of teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum,” he said.

Free primary education

The Treasury has also set aside Sh7 billion for free primary education, Sh28.9 billion for junior secondary school capitation, and Sh51.9 billion for free day secondary education. Another Sh5.9 billion has been allocated for national examinations, while the school feeding programme will get Sh3 billion.

A further Sh4 billion has been set aside for the technical vocational education and training (TVET) and entrepreneurship project.

To enhance infrastructure development and provide safe learning environments, Sh1.7 billion will go to primary and secondary schools infrastructure, with Sh1.4 billion allocated for the construction and equipping of technical training institutes and vocational training centres.

The Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Programme has received Sh13.3 billion, while the Kenya Secondary School Quality Improvement Project will get Sh2.3 billion.

HELB allocation

The Treasury has also allocated Sh993 million to research, science, technology and innovation, Sh41.5 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (up from Sh35 billion), Sh16.9 billion for university student scholarships, and Sh7.7 billion for capitation and scholarships for TVET students.

Despite the sizable allocation, the Ministry of Education faces mounting criticism over the delayed disbursement of capitation funds, which education stakeholders say is threatening the sustainability of free education.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba recently raised eyebrows when he hinted at a possible cost-sharing policy for school funding, signalling a potential shift from the free education model introduced by the late President Mwai Kibaki in 2003.

“My biggest submission and continuous request is: can we have the full amount that we have requested for so that the debt does not continue accumulating?” Ogamba said while appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee.

“With regards to the pending bill, I think it is something that between parents, the Ministry, and the government we need to sit down and see what can be done around it.”

Ogamba’s remarks followed a grilling session where MPs demanded answers on how the government plans to settle growing pending bills due to delayed or partial disbursements to schools.

The committee heard that in Term One of 2025, only Sh14 billion was released out of the expected Sh28 billion, causing schools to operate on half their budgets. It was revealed that capitation shortfalls have grown to Sh64 billion over the last five years.

In 2025, capitation stands at Sh1,420 for primary pupils, Sh15,043 for junior secondary learners, and Sh22,244 for secondary school students.