Lawmakers have raised an alarm over a looming education crisis, warning that over 208,000 incoming university students could miss out on government scholarships.
The National Assembly’s Education Committee, chaired by Tinderet Member of Parliament Julius Melly, noted that the crisis could occur if urgent changes are not made to the 2025/26 national budget.
According to the MP, an additional Ksh17 billion is needed to support government-sponsored university students, who risk missing out on crucial funding if the budget is passed as is.
Further, the committee asked for an additional Ksh3.7 billion as a matching fund to boost school infrastructure through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
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Solution for Missing Exams Budget
At the same time, the Committee pushed for a reallocation of Ksh5.9 billion in the 2025/26 national budget to fund the administration of national examinations and address critical staffing gaps in schools.
The Tinderet MP told the Budget and Appropriations Committee that the money would go towards paying examiners and invigilators, expenses that were left out of the current budget estimates.
Examinations are a critical part of our education system. Without proper funding, the credibility and smooth running of the process are at risk,” said Hon. Melly.
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Where Will the Exam Money Come From to fund University students?
The MPs have proposed that the funds be drawn from the recurrent capitation allocations for secondary schools (Ksh3 billion), junior schools (Ksh2 billion), and primary schools (Ksh900 million).
However, the total requirement to fully fund national exams stands at Ksh11 billion, leaving a shortfall of Ksh5.1 billion.
In addition to exam funding, the committee is seeking Ksh7.3 billion to confirm 20,000 intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms once their contracts end later in the year.
Moreover, the lawmakers have asked for an allocation of Ksh1.9 billion to recruit 2,000 new instructors for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, saying the institutions currently face a shortage of about 6,000 trainers.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee is expected to deliberate on these proposals before finalizing its report later this week.
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