Author: Hezron Rooy

School Feeding Program at Risk as Free Day Secondary Education Faces Budget Cuts The Education budget cuts will significantly impact the school feeding program, which supports learners in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties and impoverished urban areas. This program aims to provide meals to encourage retention and reduce school dropouts. The program received Sh3 billion in the 2023/2024 fiscal year, but these funds have now been transferred to the State Department of ASALs for the 2024/2025 year. Although the budget for the feeding program has not been reduced, Kipsang argued that moving it to another department would affect its…

Education Budget Cuts Cast Doubt on 2024 National Exams The administration of the 2024 national examinations and key initiatives like the school feeding program are at risk following a Sh14.93 billion budget cut under the State Department of Basic Education. Initially, the department was allocated Sh142.2 billion for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, but this amount has decreased to Sh127.3 billion in the current fiscal year after the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024. One critical area affected by the budget cuts is the invigilation and supervision of examinations, which had a previous allocation of Sh5.02 billion. The National Treasury’s decision…

KUPPET Demands Immediate Permanent Hiring of 46,000 Teacher Interns The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) is urging the government to immediately convert the 46,000 teachers currently serving as interns to permanent employment. Kuppet’s Secretary General, Akelo Misori, along with Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima, issued a strike warning on July 19, 2024, emphasizing the urgency of their demands. Misori also called for the employment of 20,000 new intern teachers for junior secondary schools (JSS). Funding Cuts and Education Challenges Misori criticized the government’s decision to slash education funding, attributing it to the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.…

President Ruto Names Julius Migosi Ogamba as Education Cabinet Secretary President William Ruto announced his nomination of Julius Migosi Ogamba as the Education Cabinet Secretary. The announcement was made on Friday, July 19, at State House Nairobi, where Ruto forwarded a list of 11 nominees to the National Assembly for consideration and approval. Who is Julius Migosi Ogamba? Julius Migosi Ogamba is has worked as the Chairman at Kenya Electricity Generating Co. Plc. He ran for the Kitutu Chache North parliamentary seat in the 2017 election and was the running mate for former Education CS Ezekiel Machogu in the 2022…

President Ruto’s New Cabinet Nominations. (LIST) President William Ruto has announced the nomination of 11 new cabinet secretaries for his administration. This decision follows a recent move where he dismissed the entire cabinet, with the exception of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. Follow Teachers Updates On Facebook List of Newly Nominated Cabinet Secretaries Interior and National Administration Ministry of Health Defence Roads and Transport Environment and Forestry Water, Sanitation & Irrigation Education Background Weeks before the nominations, President Ruto had made a sweeping change by sacking his entire cabinet, sparing only Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. This bold move was…

Confirmation of 46,000 Intern Teachers Delayed Till January 2025 The confirmation of 46,000 intern teachers on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) payroll to permanent and pensionable (PNP) terms has been postponed. Initially expected in July this year, the intern teachers will now have to wait until January next year for their confirmation. While addressing the National Assembly Education Committee, TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia stated that the delay is due to significant budget cuts from the Treasury. The Commission requires at least Sh18.9 billion to confirm the intern teachers to permanent terms. Follow Teachers Updates On Facebook Additionally, a plan…

Education Ministry Reshuffles Sub-County Directors: Transfers and Appointments The Ministry of Education has initiated a mini reshuffle, transferring several Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDE). In Kisii County, George Ouma, previously the SCDE of Kenyenya, has been reassigned to Borabu in Nyamira County. He has been succeeded by Gladys Otieno, who takes over after Ouma’s seven-year tenure. In his farewell address to the residents of Kenyenya on Tuesday, the outgoing SCDE expressed his gratitude to the region’s head teachers, led by David Osoro of Motive Secondary School, for their cooperation. He highlighted their achievement of posting the best examination results in…

KNUT Calls for Teachers’ Patience on CBA Implementation The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has urged teachers to remain patient and continue providing their services in schools as efforts are made to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This call for patience comes amidst ongoing concerns regarding teacher shortages and funding issues in the education sector. In a recent statement, KNUT General Secretary Collins Oyuu commended the Ministry of Education for reallocating more than 10 billion shillings to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) budget. This reallocation aims to recruit additional teachers, addressing the current shortfall of 46,000 educators across…

HELB Budget Cuts to Lock Out Over 153,000 Students from University Admission More than 153,292 students scheduled to join universities in September 2024 are at risk of missing admission due to budget cuts and underfunding of the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) and the Universities Fund by the Treasury. These students, already placed in universities through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), face a significant crisis following a Sh710 million reduction in Helb’s allocation and a Sh2.6 billion cut in the Universities Fund for the 2024/2025 financial year. The revised budget estimates reveal that Helb’s allocation has…

Open University of Kenya Faces Uncertain Future Due to Budget Cuts The Open University of Kenya, inaugurated by President William Ruto last year with ambitious goals to transform higher education, is now facing severe budgetary constraints. This follows the recent withdrawal of the finance bill, which has significantly affected its funding. The university, situated in Konza Technopolis, saw its development budget of Sh200 million completely eliminated. Initially, the institution had been allocated Sh670 million, with Sh470 million designated for recurrent expenses, according to documents presented to the education committee by the ministry. Digital Infrastructure and Program Expansion The development budget…