Free Education on the Brink as CS Ogamba Admits KSh64 Billion Funding Crisis
Kenya’s once-celebrated free basic education programme, introduced in 2003 under the late President Mwai Kibaki, is facing a severe funding crisis that now threatens its very existence.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee on Thursday, made a startling admission: the Ministry of Education is grappling with a cumulative funding deficit of KSh64 billion, with some unpaid dues stretching back more than a decade.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult,” Ogamba told MPs, warning that without urgent intervention, the education sector could deteriorate further.
Chronic Underfunding
Ogamba disclosed that schools currently receive between KSh16,000 and KSh17,000 per student annually, far below the KSh22,244 required to effectively run the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme.
This shortfall has left schools struggling to fund basic operations, including co-curricular activities, many of which have been scaled down or cut altogether. Currently, only national and regional-level activities are funded, with school-level programs left to fend for themselves.
“We need to seriously rethink the financing model. It’s time we ring-fenced the education budget,” Ogamba urged.
Is the Government Shifting the Burden to Parents?
The revelations triggered concern among lawmakers, who questioned whether the government was quietly offloading the cost of education onto parents, thus eroding the core principle of free education.
Kathiani MP Robert Mbui raised the alarm:
“Are we walking back on free education without saying it outright?”
Education Committee chair Julius Melly called for a national conference to reassess the true cost of delivering quality education and determine whether the current model remains viable.
“Capitation and activity fees are no longer enough. Since education is free and compulsory under the Constitution, we must have a national conversation,” said Melly.
A Legacy Under Threat
Launched in 2003, Kenya’s free primary and secondary education programme brought over one million children into school almost overnight and has since been a cornerstone of the country’s development.
However, growing student enrolment, rising costs, and a ballooning public wage bill have put immense pressure on the programme — with no matching increase in budgetary allocation.
Ogamba hinted at exploring new financing models, including contributions from parents, to address the deficit — a move that would mark a profound shift from the current policy.
“We need to sit down — parents, ministry, and government — and see what can be done,” he said.
As the debate rages, the fate of millions of Kenyan learners hangs in the balance, with school heads and educators warning that without immediate funding, the promise of free education could collapse altogether.
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Free Education on the Brink as CS Ogamba Admits KSh64 Billion Funding Crisis