Education on the Edge as Capitation Delays Threaten Term Two Learning
Public secondary education in Kenya is on the brink of collapse as a severe funding crisis threatens to shut down second term learning.
According to Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), the government’s failure to release full capitation has left school administrators in a tight spot and unable to run institutions.
Speaking on Monday, KESSHA Secretary General Abdi Noor painted a grim picture, saying delayed disbursements have forced school heads to make tough decisions, including cutting resources and suspending payments to suppliers.
Many schools are empty, with some having sent home Board of Management (BoM) teachers due to lack of funds — a move Noor warned is already compromising education quality.
“School heads are now dodging suppliers because they have no money to clear debts. Some have even laid off trained BoM teachers, which is hurting academic standards,” Noor said.
Under the current policy, the government is supposed to fund each secondary school student Ksh22,144 annually, broken down into three installments: Ksh11,122 in Term One, Ksh6,673 in Term Two and Ksh4,439 in Term Three.
But Noor revealed that during the first term, only Ksh8,818 was released per student — Ksh2,304 short of the promised amount. The second term has been worse, with only Ksh3,471 disbursed, leaving a deficit of Ksh3,202 per learner.
He said schools are owed Ksh7.6 billion for the first term and an additional Ksh10.6 billion for the current term.
In light of the crisis, KESSHA is urging the government to review the current funding structure, saying it’s outdated and cannot handle modern financial challenges like inflation.
The association is now proposing cost-sharing, where parents contribute part of the fees to keep schools afloat. “Previously, parents used to help out, and that made things easier. If the government is short, parents should be allowed to step in,” Noor added.
KESSHA is also recommending that lawmakers channel part of their NG-CDF allocations to schools to help bridge the growing funding gap.
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Education on the Edge as Capitation Delays Threaten Term Two Learning