Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi is sticking by his controversial stance on the sustainability of Kenya’s free education program, arguing that the government simply lacks the financial capacity to provide full capitation for all learners. Speaking during a Thanksgiving ceremony in Homa Bay County, Mbadi clarified that while education remains a national priority, current funding levels are far from adequate.
Why Can’t the Government Fully Fund Free Education?
Mbadi told the public that misconceptions about past administrations’ roles in education funding have clouded the current debate. “For the ten years (Mwai) Kibaki was the President, he never attempted to start or introduce free secondary education,” he said. “For secondary school, it is President Uhuru Kenyatta who started this initiative.” According to him, what began as subsidized education later transitioned into free day secondary school under Uhuru’s government.
Currently, the policy requires the state to allocate Ksh.22,000 per senior secondary student each year. However, Mbadi noted that this target has never been fully met. “Since the introduction of free day secondary school, the government has not been able to give or allocate every student Ksh.22,000,” he said. In practice, the disbursement this year only amounts to Ksh.17,000 per student, he revealed.
What Role Does Parliament Play in the Capitation Gap?
Mbadi pushed back at lawmakers who criticized him, accusing Parliament of slashing the education budget. “I was wondering, when MPs were asking me why I’ve not released Ksh.22,000 per student. I asked them where I could get that money. It is them who passed the budget,” he said. He claimed the capitation amount was even further reduced in the latest financial cycle.
To address the shortfall, Mbadi proposed redirecting 40% of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursary allocation, about Ksh.21 billion, towards bridging the gap. “So, the only thing I did was to confirm that, yes, we have allocated so much budget and we’re giving it in full, but it is not enough,” he explained. However, he admitted that his proposal was unpopular among MPs: “When they heard that, hapo hawataki!”
Despite mounting public concern, the Ministry of Education has reaffirmed that free education is not under threat. Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, speaking at St. Thomas Girls Secondary School in Kilifi, sought to calm fears triggered by Mbadi’s remarks. “I want to assure the country that the policy on free primary and secondary education has not changed,” Bitok said.
He acknowledged, however, that budget allocations, despite reaching a record Ksh.702 billion this financial year, still fall short of what is needed. Bitok added, “Growing demand means we must work even harder to ensure these investments reach every learner.” He also defended Mbadi, stating that his comments had been misinterpreted.
As the debate continues, Mbadi remains unapologetic. “We have a shortfall, and that is a fact.”
By Lucky Anyanje