The government has ruled out the introduction of free education for all learners, citing severe budget constraints and rising enrolment numbers across the education sector.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the State currently lacks the financial capacity to fully cover school fees for every learner, noting that existing subsidies already stretch the education budget beyond sustainable limits.
Speaking during an interview on Ramogi TV, Mbadi explained that Kenya has about 11 million pupils in primary schools, 4 million students in secondary schools and roughly 650,000 learners in universities, figures that place enormous pressure on public finances.
He said the government allocates Ksh22,000 per secondary school student and Ksh3,000 per primary school pupil, amounts that already translate into tens of billions of shillings annually.
According to the CS, boarding secondary schools cost up to Ksh75,000 per learner annually, while day schools cost about Ksh35,000, with parents required to cover the balance after government subsidies.
Mbadi cautioned that calls for free education must be weighed against fiscal realities, warning that fully funding education would require diverting resources from other critical sectors.
