School operations funding from FY 2020/21 to FY 2024/25

School operations funding from FY 2020/21 to FY 2024/25

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Average operational funding has remained almost unchanged since the launch of free secondary education in 2008, piling pressure on schools.

Schools are being forced to do more with virtually the same operational funding they received nearly two decades ago, despite soaring inflation and rising education costs, exposing the growing financial strain facing Kenya's public secondary schools.
The latest Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) data shows that schools received between Sh14,423.05 and Sh16,039.30 per learner over the five financial years from 2020/2021 to 2024/2025. The highest allocation was recorded in the 2021/2022 financial year at Sh16,039.30 per learner, while the lowest was in 2023/2024 at Sh14,423.05.
Over the same period, the Ministry of Education retained varying amounts from the total capitation, ranging from Sh811.69 per learner in the 2024/2025 financial year to Sh2,637.50 in 2022/2023. Infrastructure allocations also fell from Sh5,000 per learner in the first three financial years to Sh3,350 in 2024/2025, leaving schools with an average of just Sh10,636.92 per learner for day-to-day operations over the five years.
Notably, the average amount available for school operations between 2020 and 2025, at Sh10,636.92 per learner, is almost identical to the Sh10,625 schools received in 2008 when the Free Secondary Education programme was introduced. The near-stagnant funding comes despite a sharp rise in the cost of goods and services over the past 18 years, underscoring the mounting financial pressure on schools.

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