The education sector has received the largest allocation in the National Government’s Budget Estimates for the 2026/27 Financial Year, underscoring the government’s commitment to strengthening quality learning, training and research.
Presenting the budget estimates in Parliament on Thursday, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced that the sector has been allocated Ksh784.5B, representing 26.6 pc of the total budget. This marks an increase from the Ksh701.1 B allocated in the previous financial year.
The funding will support schools, teachers, universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
The CS dismissed claims that the government was defunding education. “It is not correct that this government, this administration, is defunding education. In fact, we are funding it more. From Ksh526M in 2022, it has increased now by 49pc”, he said.
A total of Ksh424B has been allocated to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to cater for teachers’ salaries, while basic education will receive Ksh136.6B.
Under capitation programmes, Ksh7B has been earmarked for free primary education, Ksh54.6B for free day secondary education, and Ksh30.7B for Junior Secondary School (JSS) learners.
The budget also provides Ksh4.9B for the conversion of 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms beginning January 2027, with a further 24,000 expected to be absorbed in July 2027.
“In this respect, I propose an allocation of KSh 8.2 billion for intern teachers to address staffing gaps and improving learning outcomes”, he stated.
Additionally, Ksh 9.9B will be used for administering National Examinations, and Ksh 3.0B for the School Feeding Programme.
Infrastructure
To improve learning environments and skills training, Ksh4.1B has been proposed for primary and secondary school infrastructure, and Ksh 2.1B for the construction and equipping of TVET Centres, Ksh 7.1B for the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Program, and Ksh 4.7B for Kenya Secondary Education Improvement Project.
“This comprehensive allocation safeguards service delivery and expands opportunities across the learning continuum”, he said.
To enhance access to higher education, the budget provides Ksh 56.3B to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) for student loans, Ksh 30.9B for university scholarships, and Ksh 9.2B for TVET scholarships.
The government has also allocated Ksh 6.7 B to settle Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) arrears for universities and implement the 2021–2025 CBA, alongside Ksh 5.9B for ongoing university development projects nationwide.
Mbadi assured that the government will continue promoting equity and inclusivity, increasing investment in education, and strengthening the sector’s capacity to respond to emerging technological trends and evolving labour market demands.
“The government will continue to promote equity and inclusivity, scale up investment in education and fortify the system against emerging technological and labour market shifts, as well as fortify education-to-industry linkages, thus ensuring skills match demand”, he said.
