Nairobi: Kenya increased its education budget to Sh784.5 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, up from Sh702 billion in 2025/26, as the Government steps up investment in teachers, equity, education data, and skills development. Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research Beatrice Inyangala stated that the increased allocation demonstrated the Government’s commitment to strengthening the education sector and improving learning outcomes.
According to Kenya News Agency, Inyangala spoke during the Second East African Community (EAC) Regional Conference on Education in Nairobi, highlighting that the Sh784.5 billion allocation accounted for about 27 percent of the national budget and 4.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). She emphasized Kenya’s progress in implementing education reforms through targeted programmes aimed at improving learning outcomes, promoting equity, strengthening teachers, and expanding access to education.
Inyangala pointed to initiatives such as the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Programme (KPEEL) and the National Assessment System for Monitoring Learner Achievement (NASMLA) as efforts to identify disparities and improve learning outcomes. The government has continued implementing competency-based education nationwide, supported by teacher recruitment, continuous professional development, and information and communication technology (ICT) training.
Inyangala noted that the Government recruited thousands of teachers in recent years to strengthen the teaching workforce, while efforts are ongoing to retool teachers to effectively deliver competency-based education. ‘We are prioritising retooling of these teachers so that they can deliver competency-based education using innovative pedagogy,’ she said.
The PS also mentioned that the Government is enhancing accountability in the education sector through improved data management and the operationalisation of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS). KEMIS is designed to provide an integrated platform for managing education data, including learner information, and will support evidence-based planning, resource allocation, and monitoring of education outcomes.
Inyangala also highlighted Kenya’s efforts in strengthening skills development through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), enabling individuals to have skills acquired through informal, non-formal, and experiential learning assessed and formally recognised. This initiative could help informal sector workers obtain recognised qualifications and improve their access to employment and further training.
Despite increased teacher recruitment, Inyangala acknowledged staffing gaps and regional disparities in teacher distribution as ongoing challenges at primary and junior secondary levels. She emphasized the need for recruitment and deployment planning that keeps pace with enrolment growth over the medium term.
The National Treasury’s 2026/27 Budget Statement allocated Sh784.5 billion to the Education Sector, including Sh424.3 billion for the Teachers Service Commission, Sh136.6 billion for Basic Education, Sh163.9 billion for Higher Education, Sh1.3 billion for Science, Innovation and Research, and Sh58.5 billion for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
The Second EAC Regional Conference on Education, held in Nairobi from Aug. 25 to 28, brings together policymakers, educators, researchers, development partners, and other stakeholders to discuss ways of transforming education systems across the region under the theme, ‘Transforming Education in East Africa: From Commitments to Impact, Fostering Resilient and Future-Ready Systems for Sustainable Development.’
