Ministry of Education Reduces Capitation Funding by KSh5,000 per Student

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced a reduction in school capitation by approximately KSh5,000 per student participating in the Free Secondary Education program. This adjustment comes as the ministry grapples with a KSh22 billion deficit, attributed to stagnant funding from the State despite a rise in student enrollment.

Under the revised allocation, each student will now receive a capitation of KSh17,000, down from the previous amount of KSh22,224. To address outstanding payments, the ministry has committed to disbursing KSh16.25 billion to public secondary schools within the next 10 days.

During his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee in the National Assembly on Monday, March 18, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang shed light on the challenges posed by the funding gap. Despite an annual allocation of KSh54 billion for capitation over the past six years, this funding is only sufficient to cater to 3.2 million students, falling short of the actual enrollment of 4.2 million students.

Kipsang emphasized the implications of the introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), noting that the removal of Form One classes would lead to a reduction in underfunding to approximately KSh11 billion. The Education committee is actively working to address this shortfall in the upcoming 2024/2025 financial year.

With schools scheduled to close on April 5 for the current term, the Ministry of Education continues to navigate funding challenges while striving to ensure quality education for all students.