Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced plans to strengthen school audit systems to ensure proper financial management.
This follows the sector’s allocation of Sh702.7 billion, the largest share in the 2025-26 national budget of Sh4.239 trillion.
Speaking on Tuesday during the inaugural National Retreat of Public Universities Councils in Mombasa, Ogamba said schools and headteachers implicated in financial mismanagement will be held accountable.
“The auditing of funds given to schools will continue. If the reports show misuse, action will be taken,” he said.
Ogamba noted that Kenya had surpassed the Unesco recommendation of allocating 20 per cent of the national budget to education, with the current share standing at nearly 28 per cent.
“We are already above the Unesco benchmark. The focus now is to ensure optimal and effective use of these resources to benefit as many learners as possible,” he added.
Of the Sh702.7 billion allocation, the Teachers Service Commission will receive Sh387.2 billion, including Sh7.2 billion to recruit 24,000 intern teachers in the first quarter of the financial year.
Additionally, Sh5.9 billion has been allocated for national examinations, Sh3 billion will go to the School Feeding Programme, and Free Primary Education will receive Sh7 billion.
Ogamba dismissed fears of budget cuts to the School Feeding Programme, affirming the government's commitment to support learners in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and informal settlements to boost school attendance and retention.
“We aim to expand the feeding programme from 2.6 million learners to 10 million by 2030. We are working with both local and international partners to achieve this target,” he said.
He also welcomed the High Court ruling declaring extra levies imposed by schools illegal, reiterating that no headteacher or principal is permitted to charge fees beyond government policy.
“The court reaffirmed our stance; public education is free. Additional levies are illegal and those imposing them will face the full force of the law,” he warned.
On higher education, Ogamba urged university councils to review governance structures, explore legislative improvements and propose sustainable financing strategies.
“We’ve seen alarming instances of mismanagement, administrative breakdown, and HR challenges in some universities, often caused by poor council decisions,” the CS said.
He cited cases of over-employment, HR malpractice and ethnic bias, warning that some university councils have exposed institutions to costly litigation, forcing the ministry to intervene.
Nonetheless, he assured the councils of the ministry’s support and operational independence, free from political interference.
Ogamba highlighted key reforms, including the rollout of the New Higher Education Funding Model, which aims to ensure access and equity for learners from low-income backgrounds.
“This model is already supporting thousands of vulnerable students. We are working to improve it further,” he said.
He also cited the proposed Universities Bill, 2024—currently awaiting Cabinet approval—as another key step in strengthening governance across the sector.
“Once enacted, this Bill will lay a foundation for long-term stability and relevance in higher education,” he said.
