- Education CS Migos revealed that only Ksh. 28.8 billion was sent to schools out of the Ksh. 36.3 billion needed for Term 1 of 2025.
- He blamed the gap on delayed exchequer releases and national budget constraints.
- MPs expressed worry over the growing funding hole, now at Ksh. 64 billion over the last five years.
- CS Migos also announced a move from NEMIS to KEMIS for better data accuracy.
- Lawmakers questioned how education can be called “free” when schools operate on half budgets.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Migos openly admitted that the government failed to release the full funds needed for secondary schools in the first term of 2025.
Out of the required Ksh. 36.3 billion, only Ksh. 28.8 billion was released, with Migos explaining that the ministry faced serious fiscal pressure and delayed funds from the Treasury. He said that while 50% of the funds were disbursed in January and March, the printed estimates still came up short.
He urged MPs to back his ministry’s bid for more resources in the next financial year, saying improved funding would help manage the growing number of learners in public schools.
MPs Question “Free Education” Claims
Hon. Robert Mbui, who initiated the grilling session, noted that schools received barely half of the expected Ksh. 28 billion this term, adding to a five-year funding gap now standing at Ksh. 64 billion.
Several lawmakers expressed frustration over the lack of financial planning, with Hon. Rebecca Tonkei boldly asking, “How is education free when schools survive on half budgets?”
Committee Chair Julius Melly echoed the concern, warning that without a clear and permanent fix, the growing student population will overwhelm schools.
To improve efficiency, Migos revealed the ministry is ditching NEMIS for a new data system—KEMIS—to fix long-standing errors in student data. He also proposed that capitation be split across terms: 50% in Term 1, 30% in Term 2, and 20% in Term 3, promising better tracking and smoother disbursement moving forward.
