Capitation Delays Push Principals to Send Learners Home Days After Opening.
Barely a week into the 2025 school term, principals across Kenya have started sending learners home due to insufficient capitation.
Officials from the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha), led by National Chairman Willy Kuria, reported that school administrators had no choice but to take this drastic measure due to financial constraints.
Mr. Kuria explained that principals are desperate, questioning how they can sustain learners without resources. He noted that some schools began sending students home as early as Friday due to the lack of funds.
Kessha officials highlighted a significant funding shortfall. Mr. Kuria revealed that last year, schools received Sh7,000 less per student than required, creating an accumulated deficit of over Sh64 billion over five years.
As a result, schools closed the 2024 academic year unable to pay workers, including Board of Management (BoM) teachers.
For instance, Murang’a High School, with a student population of 1,800, faces debts of Sh20 million for utilities and supplies. Mr. Kuria expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding capitation, questioning how schools will address last year’s salary arrears.
Impact of Phasing Out 8-4-4 System
The financial strain has been exacerbated by the lack of Form One admissions in 2025. The transition from the 8-4-4 system to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) meant there were no Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates in 2024, leaving secondary schools without new admissions. This has hit boarding schools particularly hard, as they rely on Form One intakes for financial stability.
Day schools, which depend entirely on capitation to pay BoM teachers and other staff, are among the worst affected. Some schools have even faced utility disconnections due to unpaid bills, while BoM teachers threaten to stop teaching over salary arrears.
Adding to the crisis, many parents have approached schools claiming they cannot afford fees due to the current economic hardships. Last term, Kessha officials met with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to address these issues, but specific solutions to the funding challenges remain elusive.
Promises of Capitation Funds
The Ministry of Education has assured schools that capitation funds will be disbursed soon. Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang stated that the funds are being processed in coordination with the National Treasury.
He assured that disbursements for primary, junior, and secondary schools would begin the following week to avoid disruptions.
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Education Cabinet Secretary Ogamba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing free and compulsory basic education. He announced that Sh48.38 billion, representing 50% of the annual capitation, would be disbursed. The funds are allocated as follows:
| Program | Amount (Sh) |
|---|---|
| Free Primary Education | 4,127,304,081.00 |
| Free Day Junior School Education | 15,327,846,478.60 |
| Free Day Secondary School Education | 28,924,649,468.76 |
Subsequent disbursements will see schools receive 30% of the capitation in Term Two and the remaining 20% in Term Three.
Calls for Leniency
National Parents Association Chairman Silas Obuhatsa urged schools not to send learners home due to parents’ financial difficulties. He called for understanding and cooperation to ensure that children’s education continues uninterrupted.
The education sector’s financial woes underscore the urgent need for timely disbursement of funds to safeguard learning in public schools.
Capitation Delays Push Principals to Send Learners Home Days After Opening
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