NAIROBI, Kenya — Parents, students, and teachers can finally exhale after the National Assembly approved the reallocation of Sh5.9 billion to fund Kenya’s 2025 national examinations, following widespread outcry over a glaring omission in the initial education budget.
The funds, earmarked for the administration and invigilation of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), come as a major reprieve ahead of the scheduled exams in September.
The decision follows mounting pressure from education stakeholders, after earlier budget estimates tabled before Parliament revealed a Sh62 billion funding gap in the education sector — and zero allocation for national exams.
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education, chaired by MP Julius Melly, pushed through the reallocation, warning it would not table its report without restoration of the exam funds.
“We shall not write our report without the examination money,” Melly declared during a tense hearing with Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok earlier this month.
According to the committee, the Sh5.9 billion will be sourced from existing recurrent capitation allocations: Sh3 billion from secondary schools, Sh2 billion from junior schools, and Sh900 million from primary schools.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) is now reviewing the proposal.
This intervention is critical, as the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) requires a total of Sh12.58 billion to conduct the 2025 exams.
Education officials, including PS Bitok, were ordered to collaborate with the National Treasury to revise the budget and ensure funding is restored not only for exams, but also for capitation, quality assurance, and the school feeding programme — all of which had suffered drastic cuts.
Speaking on the matter, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi assured the public that the government remains committed to ensuring the exams go ahead as planned.
“There will be a review on the approach and structure of exam management, including a rethink on who gets a government subsidy on payable fees,” Mbadi said, adding, “There is no need to panic — examination funding will be provided.”
The reallocation comes against a backdrop of rising anxiety in the education sector, with delays in school capitation already affecting operations in public institutions.
Teachers’ unions have also demanded immediate reinstatement of the Sh62 billion cut from the education budget, warning of a looming crisis if the shortfall persists.
For now, however, the restored exam funding marks a crucial win for learners, especially those preparing for milestone assessments this year.
