The “Historic” Release That Schools Can’t Spend

The headlines this week screamed victory: “Government Releases Sh44 Billion for Schools.” On paper, it looks like a windfall, with the Ministry of Education beating the opening bell to disburse funds before learners report on January 5. However, for the principal sitting in a C3 county school, this “historic” release is a mathematical mirage. The funds are pegged to a capitation rate of Sh22,244 per student—a figure fixed in 2018. In the eight years since, the cost of electricity, maize, and fuel has skyrocketed, yet the government expects schools to operate on a budget that was barely sufficient a decade ago. The result is a “Ghost Deficit” of approximately Sh10,000 per student, a financial hole that no amount of administrative “strict compliance” warnings can fill.

This fiscal disconnect has birthed the era of the “Survival Levy.” With the Ministry issuing strict directives against fee hikes and criminalizing “motivation fees,” school boards are being forced into the shadows. We are seeing a rise in “voluntary” projects and outsourced service fees designed to bypass the official fee structure. While the Cabinet Secretary warns against unauthorized levies, the reality on the ground is that schools face a binary choice: break the rules to solicit funds from parents, or close the dining halls before the term ends. The “free” in Free Day Secondary Education is fast becoming a technicality, sustained only by the quiet contributions of squeezed parents.

The standoff is further complicated by the looming Sh4 billion fraud audit currently before Parliament. The Ministry is using this probe into “ghost students” as a moral bludgeon to deny legitimate requests for increased funding. By framing the crisis as one of theft rather than underfunding, the state has successfully deflected responsibility. But as 1.1 million Grade 10 learners flood into schools that lack the funds for basic practicals, the “Ghost Deficit” threatens to turn the ambitious Competency-Based Curriculum into a theoretical exercise, proving that you cannot buy 2026 quality with 2018 prices.

References:

The Standard Government releases Sh 44b in capitation ahead of school reopening

NTV Kenya Secondary school heads want fees raised by Sh27, 000

All Africa Govt Releases Sh44.2bn in Term I Capitation Ahead of Monday Reopening