The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is urging Parliament to allocate sufficient funds to maintain the Ksh22,244 capitation per secondary school student, warning that the public education system is heading toward a major financial crisis.

Addressing the media on Sunday, August 3, 2025, KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori said schools are increasingly strained by inadequate funding, with many institutions unable to meet operational needs.

He called on the National Treasury to urgently release the full amount of the 2025 capitation to avert further disruption as the new term approaches.

“The CS for Finance should immediately release the entire capitation for the academic year 2025 so that schools can address pressing financial obligations ahead of the term,” Misori said.

Misori cited growing concerns from headteachers who say they are struggling to pay non-teaching staff, purchase learning materials, and maintain infrastructure due to delayed disbursements.

According to KUPPET, the cash crunch has left schools on the brink, raising fears of a potential shutdown in some areas if the situation is not urgently addressed.

In addition to the funding crisis, Misori highlighted the acute shortage of teachers in public schools.

He reminded the government of President Ruto’s Labour Day pledge to recruit an additional 20,000 teachers, noting that the current staffing gap stands at around 160,000 according to the Teachers Service Commission.

“The government should provide a budget for the employment of 20,000 teachers as promised. The shortage is not only worsening the burden on existing staff but also undermining the quality of education,” he said.

KUPPET’s call comes shortly after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi admitted that the government cannot sustain full capitation payments under the current budget.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Mbadi revealed that instead of the required Sh22,244 per learner in secondary schools, the state is only able to fund about Sh16,600 delivered in staggered tranches of 50%, 30%, and 20%.

“We are not able to fund the full amount. Even though Term One and Term Two disbursements have been made, the total is about Ksh17,000 per student,” Mbadi explained.

Speaking during a separate event in Homa Bay, Mbadi defended the government’s commitment to free education, tracing the origin of free secondary schooling to former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He dismissed suggestions that the policy began under President Mwai Kibaki, saying Kibaki focused on free primary education while Kenyatta expanded access at the secondary level.

The CS also shifted some blame to lawmakers, accusing them of cutting education allocations even after demanding higher capitation levels.

“When MPs ask why we haven’t released Sh22,000 per student, I ask them where do I get the money? They are the ones who passed the reduced budget,” he said.

Mbadi proposed a possible remedy to the deficit: redirecting the 40% share of NG-CDF funds allocated to bursaries amounting to around Ksh21 billion towards bridging the Sh5,000 per student shortfall.

“If that money was channeled nationally to fill the gap, schools would receive full fees without making students chase bursaries,” he argued.

The union insists that unless the government urgently responds to the financial and staffing issues plaguing schools, the goal of delivering quality, accessible public education may be in jeopardy.