President William Ruto has defended the government’s decision to increase funding for the education sector.
Speaking during a church service at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kajiado County on June 14, 2026, the Head of State said education remains the most important foundation for national transformation.
According to the Head of State, the investment aims to expand access, improve quality, and ensure that no Kenyan child is left behind.
“In the budget we passed the other day in Parliament, we have said that education is important. The education budget has been increased to Ksh 784 billion. In 2022, it was Ksh 500 billion. We do not want any Kenyan from any community to miss out on education. That is why the education budget is important to us as a nation. Countries that have made progress, like South Korea and Japan, invested heavily in education,” said Ruto
This comes after Treasury CS John Mbadi presented the 2026/27 budget budget of KSh 4.2 trillion, with the education sector receiving a lion’s share of KSh 784.5 billion on June 11, 2026.
Education Budget Rises to KSh784 Billion
Ruto stated that the education sector has been allocated a total of Ksh784.5 billion in the 2026/27 national budget, up from Ksh526 billion in the 2021/22 financial year, before his administration took office.
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The President noted that the government’s focus on education financing aligns with long-term development goals and that countries that have made economic progress, including South Korea and Japan, have invested heavily in education over many years.
In its Education budget, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will receive about KSh424 billion for teacher salaries and recruitment, a rise from KSh290 billion in 2022, to address teacher shortages and improve staffing levels in public schools.
Basic education has been allocated KSh136.6 billion, while higher education has been allocated around KSh163.9 billion.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions will receive about KSh58.5 billion.
The government has also expanded funding for key education programs, including Free Primary Education, which has been allocated KSh7 billion, while free day secondary education will receive KSh54.6 billion.
Junior Secondary School (JSS) capitation has been set at KSh30.7 billion, bringing total capitation funding to KSh85.3 billion.
Examinations, Infrastructure, and Student Support Expanded
The government has set aside Sh9.9 billion for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to support national assessments and examinations.
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In addition, KSh1.5 billion has been allocated to clear arrears owed to teachers who participated in the examination marking.
School feeding programmes, which support learner retention in vulnerable regions, have been allocated KSh3 billion. Infrastructure development has also been prioritized, with Sh4.1 billion directed toward construction and rehabilitation of schools and Sh2.1 billion for TVET infrastructure.
Higher education students are also expected to benefit from increased financing, with the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) receiving KSh56.3 billion, a sharp rise from KSh15.39 billion in 2022. Additional funding includes KSh30.9 billion for university scholarships and Sh9.2 billion for TVET student support.
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