2024/25 Budget: Education takes lion's share of Sh656.6 billion

The government has allocated the largest share of its Sh3.9 trillion budget to the education sector, dedicating Sh656.6 billion, which accounts for 27.6 per cent of the total expenditure.

While presenting the 2024-25 budget proposal on Thursday at Parliament, the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u emphasised that the meagre boost shows the government’s commitment to creating equitable educational opportunities for all Kenyan children.

“The government continues to invest in education to improve outcomes and create a level playing field for all Kenyan children,” Ndung’u said.

In the 2024-25 budget proposal, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has emerged as the primary beneficiary within the education sector, receiving Sh358.2 billion.

This marks a substantial increase from the Sh316.7 billion allocated in the previous year’s budget, which constituted half of the Sh628.6 billion designated for education in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Additionally, Sh142.3 billion has been allocated for basic education, Sh128 billion for higher education and research and Sh30.7 billion for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Specific allocations also encompass Sh9.1 billion for free primary education and Sh61.9 billion for free day secondary education.

Junior secondary schools have also been allocated Sh30.7 billion for capitation, while Sh5 billion has been set aside for the examination fee waiver.

Ndung’u also announced that Sh13.4 billion has been earmarked for promoting 46,000 junior secondary school intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.

Sh3.0 billion has been allocated to school feeding program in the FY 2024/25.

Further, Sh1.3 billion has been set aside to train teachers on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

President William Ruto’s government has also allocated Sh360 million for the digital literacy program and ICT integration in secondary schools.

To bolster infrastructure development and ensure safe learning environments, Ndung'u has proposed Sh3.2 billion for primary and secondary school infrastructure projects.

This includes Sh1 billion for constructing junior secondary school classrooms and Sh2.3 billion for building and equipping technical and vocational training centres.

Other key allocations in the budget include Sh11.1 billion for the Kenya Primary Education and Equity in Learning Program, Sh1.8 billion for integrated resource centre construction, Sh1.5 billion for the Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project, and Sh1.1 billion for research, science, and technology innovation.

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Students seeking loans to enhance their education under the New Education Funding Model have also been considered as the government has allocated Sh35.9 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) for loans to university and TVET students.

Sh16.9 billion has also been allocated for university students to partake scholarships while Sh7.7 billion has been designated for TVET student capitation and scholarships.

Ndung'u said the new funding framework aims to provide students from low-income households equal access to university education and technical training.