Education

Under current policy, students in day secondary schools should receive Sh22,000 per year, junior secondary students Sh15,000, and primary school pupils Sh1,400.

Appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee on Thursday, CS Mbadi said it was now his responsibility to ensure the recruitment goes ahead as directed by the president.

The changes, made under the authority of various sections of the Universities Act, are intended to reinforce governance, policy oversight, and institutional stability in the higher education sector.

The backlash follows Mbadi’s appearance before the National Assembly’s Education Committee, where he revealed that capitation for secondary school students had been reduced from Sh22,244 to Sh16,900 per learner.

His comments come just hours after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi had announced that funding free education was no longer sustainable.

The Elimu Bora Working Group, through their Policy and Strategic Adviser Boaz Waruku, told the Eastleigh Voice on Friday that Mbadi’s revelation was unacceptable and should be rejected by all Kenyans.

Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu’s report attributes the flaws to poor coordination between government agencies and a failure to integrate the funding model with the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).

The shocking revelations were brought to light during a parliamentary committee session on Thursday, where Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba was put to task over the disbursement.

Justice Maureen Onyango found that the university acted in bad faith by issuing the letters while court-facilitated talks were still underway, and despite assurances that no such action would be taken before those talks concluded.

CS Mbadi attributed the underfunding to Kenya’s debt burden and constrained budget.

Ong’ondo defended the institute’s operations, saying all books delivered to schools aligned with the approved curriculum and that suggestions of “irrelevant” learning materials being supplied were misplaced.

The chaos erupted shortly after 9:30 pm when a group of students disrupted normal school activities, leading to the breach of the examination and evaluation room.

According to the TSC, the allowance ranges from Sh43 to Sh80 per kilometre, with teachers in the highest grade, D5, receiving the maximum rate.

He argued that the process does not align with the constitutional timelines provided under Article 229 and the requirements of the Public Audit Act. According to the Wajir governor, the decision to audit funds going back to 2021 raises concerns, especially since some of the current governors were not in office during that period.

UoN labelled the letter as fake and advised students to strictly follow instructions issued through the university’s verified Facebook page, official X (Twitter) account, or SMS.

In her audit report for the financial year ending June 2024, Gathungu disclosed that TSC had overpaid teachers Sh433.9 million, blaming the situation on manual reporting systems that resulted in inefficiencies.

This comes after teachers sued their employer for interdicting them when they fled their workstations following deadly Al-Shabaab attacks.

The TSC has directed that the training be conducted face-to-face at designated venues across the country.

The University of Nairobi Students Association is now demanding an immediate fee reduction and has threatened to shut down the campus and disrupt traffic in Nairobi’s central business district if their concerns are not addressed.

Data from the exercise revealed that more than half of the country’s 9,750 secondary schools were not selected by incoming Grade 10 learners.

The Commission warned Kenyans against making payments for the documents, insisting that they are fake and hold no legitimacy.

KUCCPS urged those successfully placed to follow all admission instructions provided through the portal to ensure a smooth enrollment process.

The findings show that despite policy efforts and rising enrolment in some areas, many learners and teachers continue to operate in under-resourced environments that limit progress and deepen inequality.

Implementation will be gradual, with an annual salary adjustment budget of Sh8.4 billion, totalling Sh33 billion by the end of the agreement period on June 30, 2029.

The criticism follows explosive allegations against Peter Ayiro, a senior teacher and long-serving Christian Union patron at Alliance Girls High School, who is accused of sexually exploiting students for years under the guise of mentorship and spiritual leadership.

The audit uncovered glaring irregularities in how books were distributed to public schools. Some schools received more textbooks than required, others got books for subjects they did not teach, while many were left without books at all.

The crisis is even more pronounced in special needs schools, where learners with disabilities continue to struggle due to inadequate support and limited resources.

Bitok disclosed that out of 9,750 secondary schools, over 5,000 failed to attract any of the 1.2 million learners transitioning to Grade 10.

The report further reveals that three in every 10 Grade 6 learners across the country are unable to read and comprehend a Grade 3-level English story.

In Kenya, ECDE is overseen by county governments, with the national government responsible for policy direction, curriculum development, and overall support to the sector.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, the court ruled that Gatoto school should remain a private, non-profit institution operating under the Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) framework as defined by law.

Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi urged Parliament to ensure the affected pupils are facilitated to resit the exam and continue with their education.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Wednesday revealed that the ministry is fully committed to transforming adult education into a powerful tool for national development.

EduAfya programme was launched in 2018 under the National Education Sector Strategic Plan, with the aim of increasing access and equity in secondary education by offering comprehensive health coverage. The original contract set an annual premium of Sh1,350 per student.

PS Carren Achieng Ageng'o called for strengthening child care and safeguarding children from violence through an ecosystem that supports shaping the future of learners at ECD schools.

This development follows mounting public pressure after a report by African Uncensored brought the allegations to light, sparking national outrage and prompting protests by former students and parents outside the school last week, demanding immediate action.

Okumu told the legislators that a fact-finding mission by the Auditor General’s office had confirmed there was no physical infrastructure at the purported schools. He said the only evidence of their existence was bank accounts through which the institutions continued to receive capitation.

The rollout of the CBE curriculum will see secondary schools transition into senior schools, where teachers will be required to specialise in one of three career pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; or Arts and Sports.

Appearing before the committee during an oversight visit to the agency’s headquarters in Nairobi, UF acting CEO Edwin Wanyonyi revealed that the agency received Sh16.5 billion for scholarships and Sh342 million for operational expenses.

The recovery follows a joint effort with Civil Registration Services, which enabled more efficient verification of death records.

Form Four mock exams and other end-of-term assessments are also under threat, while some institutions are already considering early closure.

The portal will be accessible between July 14 and July 31, 2025, allowing eligible KCSE certificate holders from the years 2000 to 2024 to apply for placement in various artisan, craft and diploma programmes.

Scholar and CBC critic Wandia Njoya warned that the proposed reforms are not truly about using technology to enhance marking efficiency but are instead a smokescreen for commercial interests.

Between 2019 and 2024, the Teachers Service Commission deregistered 470 teachers, 419 of whom were male, five female, and 46 whose gender was not specified.

Kuppet is demanding salary increases of up to 70 per cent, enhanced allowances, and the elimination of unpaid acting roles.

The application period will run from July 14 to August 24, 2025.

HELB said applicants who registered using their KCSE index number must now revise their account details by adding their national ID number and first name as captured on the identification document.

TSC Acting CEO Evaleen Mitei disclosed that only 2,837 of them disclosed their counties and sub-counties, while the remaining 36,180 failed to provide this information during registration.

The Bill, introduced by Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, also aims to give legal effect to the existing policy framework for Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training, which currently lacks statutory support.