NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has called for a radical overhaul of the country’s education financing model, proposing the abolition of bursaries and scholarships in favour of a fully free public education system.
Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori warned of a looming education crisis, citing chronic underfunding that he says could force schools to shut down when the third term opens later this month.
“We are asking the President to courageously confront policy failures and act decisively on key issues affecting the education sector,” said Misori.
At the top of the union’s demands is the immediate disbursement of full capitation funds for the 2025 academic year.
Misori said delays have left schools buried in debt and unable to meet basic obligations.
“The Treasury must release the entire capitation immediately to enable schools to prepare for reopening,” he said.
Call for Bold Reforms
Misori urged the government to abandon piecemeal interventions like bursaries and scholarships, arguing that they create inequality and inefficiencies.
“Instead of allocating small amounts to bursaries and scholarships, let us move to a structured, universal funding model. Education must be completely free for all learners,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that free education cannot be sustained without comprehensive policy and budget reforms.
“Education is expensive. If taxpayers can’t foot the entire bill, then we must have a conversation about parental contributions,” he added.
Stalled Promotions and Staffing Crisis
KUPPET also accused the government of ignoring over 130,000 promotion requests submitted by teachers in the last financial year.
The union called for the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to be adequately funded to address the growing backlog, which Misori says has left teachers demoralized.
In addition, he called on President William Ruto to honour his Labour Day pledge to hire 20,000 new teachers, especially for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), which now face a shortage of more than 106,000 teachers.
“We have nearly 300,000 trained but unemployed teachers. What’s lacking is political will and funding,” said Misori.
He blamed the crisis in JSS on poor policy decisions, particularly the decision to house the new level within primary schools instead of secondary institutions with existing facilities.
“Equipping 23,000 primary schools for JSS is unsustainable, especially when over 12,000 secondary school labs and classrooms are underutilized,” Misori said.
Criticism of Education Taskforce
Misori also criticized the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, saying its recommendations weakened the Education Ministry and worsened the sector’s woes.
“Its proposals led to harmful policies—such as the misplacement of JSS and the unnecessary hike in university fees,” he claimed.
He instead called for a national stakeholder forum to craft a sustainable education financing policy that aligns with Kenya’s long-term development goals.
KESSHA, MPs Echo Concerns
Misori’s remarks come amid similar complaints by school heads and legislators over insufficient capitation.
According to Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairperson Willy Kuria, schools receive Sh16,900 per student—far below the recommended Sh22,244.
“Parents believe everything is paid for, but the reality is schools are operating at a deficit,” Kuria said.
Misori called for a supplementary budget to be tabled in Parliament before schools reopen.
“We commend the President for retaining full capitation at Sh22,244 per student and reducing university fees, but that must now be followed by timely disbursement and real structural reform,” he said.
