NAIROBI, Kenya – In a move that has sent shockwaves through the education sector, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has announced a significant reduction in the free day secondary school education capitation. The government will now provide Sh16,900 per student, a steep decline from the previous Sh22,244.
The announcement, made on Thursday, July 24, 2025, was accompanied by a stark warning from the Treasury boss, who stated that the government can no longer sustain the free primary and secondary education programs at their current levels.
This cut in funding is expected to have a far-reaching and immediate impact on the operations of public secondary schools across the country, which are already grappling with rising costs and delayed disbursements of funds.
The Sh22,244 capitation grant was intended to cover a variety of school expenses, including tuition, administrative costs, and essential learning materials. With this drastic reduction, schools will now have to operate with significantly less funding per student, a situation that school heads have termed as untenable.
A Looming Crisis for Schools: The Impact of Reduced Capitation
The decision to slash the secondary school capitation is set to trigger a cascade of challenges for school administrators, teachers, parents, and ultimately, the students themselves. Here’s a detailed look at the potential impact of this move:
For Schools:
- Crippling Operational Deficits: The reduced funding will severely hamper the day-to-day running of schools. Covering essential costs such as water, electricity, and administrative expenses will become a monumental task.
- Inadequate Learning Resources: Schools will struggle to purchase sufficient textbooks, laboratory chemicals, and other learning materials. This will directly impact the quality of education and the implementation of the curriculum.
- Understaffed Support Services: The employment of non-teaching staff, including bursars, clerks, and security personnel, will be under threat as schools will find it difficult to meet their salary obligations.
- Postponement of Infrastructure Development: Any plans for the expansion or maintenance of school facilities, such as classrooms, laboratories, and dormitories, will likely be put on hold indefinitely.
- Accumulation of Debt: Schools are likely to sink deeper into debt as they struggle to pay suppliers for essential goods and services.
For Parents:
- Increased Financial Burden: To bridge the funding gap, schools may be forced to introduce or increase a variety of levies, passing the financial burden onto parents who are already contending with a high cost of living. This could take the form of increased Parents’ Association (PA) contributions, development fees, and charges for extra-curricular activities.
- Threat to Free Education: The move fundamentally undermines the principle of free secondary education, a cornerstone of the government’s education policy. For many parents, the dream of providing their children with a secondary education without the worry of school fees is now in jeopardy.
For Students:
- Compromised Quality of Education: Overcrowded classrooms, a lack of essential learning materials, and a demotivated teaching force will inevitably lead to a decline in the quality of education.
- Reduced Co-curricular Activities: Schools may be forced to scale back on or eliminate co-curricular activities such as sports, music, and drama, which are crucial for the holistic development of students.
- Negative Impact on Performance: The myriad of challenges stemming from the funding cuts are likely to have a detrimental effect on student morale and academic performance.
The announcement by the Treasury has been met with dismay and criticism from education stakeholders, who have called for an urgent reconsideration of the decision. They argue that while the government faces fiscal constraints, the education sector should be shielded from such drastic cuts, given its critical role in the nation’s development. As schools and parents brace for the impact, the future of free and quality secondary education in Kenya hangs precariously in the balance.