NAIROBI, Kenya — Secondary school principals are urging the government to urgently release capitation arrears amounting to Sh18 billion for the first and second terms, warning that delayed disbursements are crippling learning institutions across the country.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) National Chairperson Willie Kuria said the financial crunch has severely impacted school operations, just two weeks before the second term closes.
Each learner is entitled to Sh22,144 annually from the government, disbursed in three tranches — 50% in Term One, 30% in Term Two, and 20% in Term Three.
But this year, schools received Sh8,818 per learner in Term One instead of the expected Sh11,122, leaving a deficit of Sh2,304.
In Term Two, only Sh3,471 was disbursed, against the allocated Sh6,673, creating a shortfall of Sh3,202 per student for Kenya’s 3.28 million public secondary school learners.
“The total arrears for the first term were Sh7.6 billion and Sh11 billion for the second term,” Kuria told reporters on Monday.
Suppliers, Teachers Unpaid as Schools Struggle
Kuria, who also serves as chief principal of Murang’a High School, warned that delayed capitation has led to an accumulation of debts, leaving schools unable to pay Board of Management (BoM) teachers, support staff, or suppliers.
“We only have two weeks remaining in this term and had hoped we’d receive another tranche. We’re unable to pay BoM teachers, support staff or clear pending bills,” he said.
According to Kuria, government underfunding has become chronic, with second-term disbursements consistently falling below expectations in recent years.
- 2022: Sh4,289.24 disbursed
- 2023: Sh4,150
- 2024: Sh4,505
- 2025: Sh3,471
He expressed concern that special needs schools are the worst affected, as they require continuous access to electricity and water to operate.
“When power is disconnected, they are forced to send students home. These schools received Sh26,148 out of the Sh35,370 expected,” he noted.
Day Schools Hit Hard, BoM Teachers Laid Off
KESSHA Secretary General Abdinoor Haji said day schools are in a worse position as they rely entirely on capitation.
Many have had to lay off BoM teachers, increasing class sizes and undermining the quality of education.
“Most heads are only playing hide-and-seek with suppliers. There is no money,” he said.
Kuria also revealed that the government owes an additional Sh64 billion in pending disbursements from previous years, putting schools in a constant financial crisis.
He urged the Ministry of Education to review the capitation amount every three years to adjust for inflation and called for a minimum essential package for low-enrollment schools to meet basic needs.
Time to Reconsider Parental Contribution?
Kuria proposed that the government should come clean about its funding capabilities and allow parents to top up where possible, pointing to the pre-2017 model, where parents contributed Sh9,000 out of the Sh22,144 per student cost.
“The government said it would cover the entire cost, but it clearly hasn’t managed to,” he said.
He warned that continued funding delays will not only lead to early school closures, but also a decline in academic performance, cancellation of co-curricular activities, and an inability to develop teacher capacity.
