Ministry admits to Sh64 billion school debt as funding crisis worsens
Appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee, Ogamba admitted that the ministry has not been able to track the exact amount but did not dispute the figure raised by lawmakers.
The Ministry of Education is under pressure to explain a growing financial crisis in public schools, with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba conceding that schools may owe up to Sh64 billion in unpaid bills.
Appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee, Ogamba admitted that the ministry has not been able to track the exact amount but did not dispute the figure raised by lawmakers.
"I didn’t come with that figure. The figure raised by MP Robert Mbui of Sh64 billion could be correct. The question we are grappling with is: what do we do with it? Yet we’re still not getting what we budgeted for," he told the committee on Thursday.
The crisis comes amid growing concern that the government is no longer able to provide full funding for basic education.
So far, only half of the allocated school funds have been disbursed for the current financial year, with Sh28.8 billion released to cover 3.2 million learners.
This has left a deficit of Sh7.5 billion with schools now deep into the second term.
Primary school funding remains stuck at Sh1,420 per child, despite a recommended increase to Sh2,238 by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform.
Meanwhile, junior secondary schools are receiving only half of the Sh15,043 meant for each student annually.
Members of the committee questioned the ministry’s ability to sustain free education, with Deputy Minority Leader Robert Mbui suggesting that a cost-sharing model may be more honest and practical.
"If you feel that it may be difficult for the ministry to afford it, then at some point you need to introduce some form of cost-sharing so that parents can assist. That could be better than insisting that you are funding education, yet it’s the children who are affected," he said.
Committee Chair Julius Melly called for a national discussion on education funding, asking, "Can we afford to continue fully funding education with the increasing numbers and the lack of resources we are experiencing?"
The MPs also criticised the ministry for holding back parts of the funds meant for learners.
They highlighted that while primary school children are supposed to receive Sh76 each for co-curricular activities, only Sh36 is reaching schools, with Sh40 retained by the ministry.
