The government has allocated Sh784.5 billion to the education sector in the 2026/27 financial year, including Sh424 billion for teachers’ salaries, as Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi dismissed claims that the Kenya Kwanza administration is underfunding education.
Presenting the 2026/27 Budget Statement in Parliament on Thursday, Mbadi said education remains the largest recipient of government funding, accounting for 26.5 per cent of the ministerial budget, up from 24.5 per cent in the 2021/22 financial year.
“It is not correct that this administration is defunding education. In fact, we are funding it more,” Mbadi told lawmakers.
The Treasury Cabinet Secretary said allocations to the sector have increased by nearly 49 per cent, rising from Sh526 billion in the 2021/22 financial year to the proposed Sh784.5 billion for the next fiscal year.
A substantial share of the funding will go to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which has been allocated Sh424 billion for teachers’ salaries and related expenses. The allocation has risen significantly from about Sh290 billion in 2022, reflecting the government’s efforts to recruit more teachers and improve staffing levels in schools.
Basic education has been allocated Sh136.6 billion, up from Sh107 billion in 2022, while higher education will receive Sh163.9 billion compared to Sh105 billion four years ago.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have been allocated Sh58.5 billion, while science, innovation and research programmes will receive Sh1.3 billion.
Mbadi said the increased investment is aimed at protecting learning outcomes, improving access to education and expanding opportunities for learners across all levels.
Under the proposed budget, Sh7 billion has been allocated to free primary education, Sh54.6 billion to free day secondary education and Sh30.7 billion for junior secondary school capitation.
Combined funding for free day secondary and junior secondary education will rise to Sh85.3 billion, compared to Sh62.4 billion in 2022.
The government has also set aside Sh9.9 billion for the administration of national examinations. In addition, Mbadi announced that Sh1.5 billion owed to teachers who marked national examinations will be paid before the end of the current financial year.
School feeding programmes will receive Sh3 billion, up from Sh2.2 billion in 2022, in a move aimed at improving school attendance and learner retention, particularly in vulnerable regions.
To address the teacher shortage, the Treasury has proposed Sh4.9 billion for the conversion of 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027.
Another Sh8.2 billion has been allocated for intern teachers, including the 24,000 newly recruited interns expected to transition to permanent employment from July 2027.
According to Mbadi, the government will have recruited a total of 116,000 teachers by next year.
“On average, this government is employing more than 20,000 teachers annually. No previous administration has employed more than 10,000 teachers per year,” he said.
The budget also provides Sh4.1 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of primary and secondary school infrastructure and Sh2.1 billion for the construction and equipping of TVET centres.
Other allocations include Sh7.1 billion for the Kenya Primary Education Equity and Learning Programme and Sh4.7 billion for the Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Programme.
University and TVET students are also set to benefit from increased funding under the proposed budget.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has been allocated Sh56.3 billion for student loans, a significant increase from Sh15.39 billion in 2020. Universities will receive Sh30.9 billion for scholarships, while TVET scholarships have been allocated Sh9.2 billion.
Mbadi said the increased funding demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening education financing, improving access to quality learning and ensuring institutions have the resources needed to support Kenya’s growing student population.
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