By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
Kenya, 5 May 2026 - The government spokesperson Isack Mwaura has said the state has disbursed KSh 23.4 billion to schools for capitation to ease financial burden from parents.
Speaking in his office, Mwaura said the funds will also allow schools to provide necessary learning materials and support co-curricular activities aimed at improving quality, equity, access and affordability across all levels of learning from basic education to university education.
The money he noted is disbursed following a 50:30:20 distribution ratio across the three school terms with Primary receiving KSh 1,400 per learner annually.
The spokesperson said the funds are allocated into two accounts: one being for public primary schools that cover learning materials such as textbooks, exercise books, teacher guides, reference materials, and stationery.
While the other account covers school operational costs, including wages, classroom and facility maintenance, school activities, local transport, utilities (electricity and water), communication, environment sanitation, capacity building of school boards, management meetings, contingencies, applied technology, assessments and examinations.
Addressing journalists, Mwaura said while the Government recognises the need to increase resources depending on Parliament's availability, there is currently no valid reason to claim that schools cannot budget with allocated funds.
He denied opposition claims that the education system is not working.
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“Anyone claiming that the education system is not working is politicizing the issue. Alleged hidden costs imposed by teachers or head teachers due to delayed disbursement of funds are incorrect because disbursement occurs before students begin school,” he said.
The National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) he noted plays an essential role by providing reliable data for verifying student numbers and funding distribution. This he said helps eliminate ghost students and misuse of funds.
The government spokesperson told schools to notify the Principal Secretary through the respective Sub-County Director of Education for recovery action if they receive funds exceeding its allocation and equally when underfunded.
On hiring teachers, Mwaura said since taking office, the Government has hired 100,000 of the promised 116,000 teachers and constructed over 23,000 classrooms nationwide.
“Curriculum reforms and educational training are ongoing, with plans to build 1,600 laboratories and strengthen technical education. Despite challenges, the Government remains proactive in advancing education,” he said.