Nyeri: Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo, has defended the government’s decision to increase the budgetary allocation for the education sector, terming it as a sign of President William Ruto’s commitment to investing in the country’s future.
According to Kenya News Agency, the education budget has increased by over Sh 200 billion since the Kenya Kwanza administration took office in 2022. Dr. Omollo stated that the enhanced investment will ensure that learners across all 47 counties have access to quality education and adequate learning infrastructure. “The story of Kenya has always been closely tied to the story of education and for generations, families have invested in education because they understood it is the most reliable pathway to opportunity and progress,” he said. “It is through education that we equip our young people with the knowledge, skills, and values that are needed to build a better society.”
Out of the Sh 4.8 trillion proposed budget for the 2026/2027 Financial Year, the government has allocated Sh 784 billion to the education sector. According to Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi, this allocation accounts for 26.5 percent of the country’s total budget and marks a 2 percent increase from the Sh 500 billion allocated when the current administration took office in 2022.
From the budget, basic education will receive Sh 136.6 billion, while Sh 163.9 billion will be set aside for higher education. Technical Vocational Education and Training will receive Sh 58.5 billion, while another Sh 1.3 billion has been allocated to support science, innovation, and research programs.
In this year’s budget, the combined funding for free day secondary and Junior Secondary School stands at Sh 85.3 billion. Within this budget, Sh 54.6 billion will go towards free day secondary education, and Sh 30.7 billion will be allocated to junior secondary school capitation. An additional Sh 7 billion has been set aside to support free primary education.
Similarly, the Teachers Service Commission has been allocated Sh 424 billion to cover teachers’ salaries and support the recruitment of additional teachers. Dr. Omollo stated that the increased funding over the last three years has facilitated the hiring of more teachers, aimed at ensuring learners have access to quality education. He emphasized the government’s investment in school infrastructure to support learning and nurture future human capital for the country.
Dr. Omollo highlighted that in addition to direct government support, thousands of learners benefit from bursaries under the National Government Constituency Development Fund and other support programs to ensure no child is denied an education due to financial constraints. “Education is not just having children in school; the infrastructure must be up to speed, the teachers must be there, we must build labs so that we produce the next set of human resource capital to move the nation forward,” he noted.
The PS spoke at Chinga Boys Senior School in Nyeri, where he was the chief guest during the school’s prize-giving day, accompanied by his energy counterpart, Alex Wachira. In his address, Dr. Omollo urged the students to take advantage of the opportunities available to them, emphasizing education as the greatest equalizer. He also stressed the importance of discipline and challenged students to avoid vices such as drug abuse and bullying, adding that good grades alone do not guarantee success in life.
He emphasized the importance of safety in schools, describing them as critical spaces for nurturing future citizens. He called on all education stakeholders and communities to work together to ensure that learning institutions remain safe. “Our schools must be safe spaces,” he said. “With all the resources that we are putting to build the infrastructure, we must engage and talk to our students; we must work closely as communities to ensure that all these we are putting together remain safe and protected.”
Energy PS Alex Wachira urged parents to take an active role in instilling discipline in their children, especially during the mid-term break, to teach them the importance of safeguarding school property. “One responsibility that we must take seriously is that of ensuring that these children are brought up to be responsible,” Wachira said. “We need to show them that we need to bequeath the schools to the next generation, so let us set a good example and show them the right way to go.”
