Headteachers have sounded the alarm that government delays in releasing funds are disrupting examination preparations by schools.
Principals say cash-strapped schools are unable to purchase materials and equipment that students will use during examinations. If the problem persists, they say students will be forced to share equipment, which is unfair to the candidates.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam starts on October 21, with rehearsals planned on October 17.
Learners will sit the new Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment from October 27.
The two exams will run alongside the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment and the Kenya Primary Learning Evaluation Assessment, creating a crowded examination season that threatens to overwhelm schools with limited resources.
“We are in limbo, hoping suppliers will deliver. But if they don’t, our students may have to share equipment. It’s unfair to them, and it makes it almost impossible to protect the integrity of the exams. How can we expect them to succeed when the basic resources simply aren’t there?” asked a principal of a school in Nairobi.
There are concerns that the Ministry of Education’s allocation of Sh3,044 per secondary school student is insufficient.
“Previously, at a time like this, we would have been given the full amount for the examination. Right now, they are only giving us Sh300 per child to buy equipment. Yet sometimes the costs amount to Sh300,000. How are we supposed to survive like that?” added the principal.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairperson Willy Kuria said the delayed release of capitation has plunged schools into a financial crisis just weeks before the national exams.
Mr Kuria said several schools have yet to receive their allocation for this term.
“This is the term for exams; schools are expected to buy materials, pay suppliers and prepare adequately, yet funds have not hit their accounts. Schools are finding it difficult to prepare for the exam. We have been assured that the money will be disbursed this week, but the delay has already disrupted operations in many schools,” he told the Business Daily.
Day schools and boarding institutions with low enrolment are hit the hardest, forcing some principals to borrow to buy examination materials.
Mr Kuria asked the government to expedite the disbursement, saying the uncertainty is undermining exam preparation and piling pressure on school heads grappling with costs.
Schools are also struggling to complete the syllabus amid limited resources.
“With limited resources, school fee defaults, and unpaid staff, covering the curriculum on time is a huge challenge. We are racing against the clock, but it feels like we are not ready for the exam,” said another principal.
“We are under immense pressure and rushing to complete the syllabus this week. Parents expect results, and we aim to release classes on October 17 to continue with exam rehearsals. We are doing our best, but the challenges schools are facing are largely unknown to parents. At my school, we have a debt of Sh32 million,” said a principal from Bomet.
He said the crisis has been compounded by delayed capitation, parents defaulting on fees, and early school closures last term, which cut into teaching time.
“The little money we received barely dented the debts. It feels like a cycle we can’t escape—as soon as we clear one bill, another piles up. We are now pleading with suppliers and even talking to banks to extend us credit just to keep the school running. Meanwhile, we must keep teaching and finish the syllabus. The pressure is unbearable,” he said.
The government has said funds will only be released to schools whose enrolment data has been verified. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has confirmed that 37,128 schools with 8,820,703 learners have so far been verified.
Funds have already been disbursed to these institutions, and the verification exercise is set to be extended to higher learning institutions. However, Mr Ogamba requested an additional 10 days to complete the verification—a procedure initially slated to take one month.
But the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association has warned schools are “running on empty” as the crucial third term enters its sixth week. Chair Farad Ali said head teachers are struggling to keep schools afloat.
“Many schools are surviving on debts. Unfortunately, since schools opened, we have not received any capitation. As of last week, ministry officials assured us that 8,000 junior schools had already been cleared, but 11,000 primary schools are still waiting for funds,” Mr Ali said.
He warned that boarding schools cannot purchase enough food supplies, while day schools are unable to meet salaries and utility bills.
“Six weeks into the term, many schools, especially those with high operating costs, are struggling to stay afloat. Some are running entirely on credit. We urge the minister to intervene so that the funds can be disbursed promptly, allowing schools to prepare for the upcoming national assessments in a few weeks,” he said.
“Some principals of junior school and secondary schools are yet to receive capitation thereby affecting their preparation for students set to sit KJSEA and KCSE exams which basically will involve practical exams,” said Mr Ndung’u Wangenye, National Secretary, Kenya Teachers In Hardship & Arid Areas Welfare Association (Kethawa).
Meanwhile, Kenya’s 39 public universities are also in crisis because of a strike by lecturers.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary General Constantine Wasonga accused the government of hiding behind the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to avoid honouring its obligations.
“Higher education is neglected by the government. If things continue the way they are, the sector shall grind to a halt. The government is not keen on addressing the problem. They want to hide behind SRC for them not to honour their obligations,” he told Daily Nation.
Uasu says the government owes lecturers Sh7.9 billion from a previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA), alongside obligations under the 2021–2025 deal. The Treasury’s recent release of Sh2.5 billion was dismissed as insufficient.
He warned that the current impasse could have long-term consequences on the higher education sector if not addressed promptly.
“There is a crisis in the sector and the ongoing stalemate will affect service delivery and research output. Lecturers are upset and demoralised,” he said.
