Parents whose children are preparing to sit for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams can now breathe easy after the government reversed its earlier decision and agreed to fund the national examinations.
The decision to reinstate government funding follows a recommendation by the National Assembly’s Education Committee, which proposed an allocation of Ksh5.9 billion in the 2025/2026 national budget to cater for the administration of national exams.
Initially, this funding had been excluded from the budget estimates, sparking public concern and criticism.
The committee suggested that the funds be sourced from the education sector’s recurrent capitation votes.
Specifically, Ksh3 billion would come from the secondary school budget, Ksh2 billion from junior secondary school funds, and Ksh900 million from the primary school allocation.
Education Committee Chairperson Julius Melly emphasized the importance of examinations, stating, “Examinations play a crucial role in the education system.
If they are not well-funded, it threatens both the credibility and effectiveness of the entire assessment process.” He added, “We had to make this decision because KCSE examinations are scheduled for the end of this year. Students cannot be left in uncertainty.”
Meanwhile, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, who also sits on the Finance Committee, sharply criticized the initial failure to allocate money for exams, calling it a sign of poor judgment by the government.
“It was completely insensitive for the government to leave out funding for national examinations. What was even more disturbing was hearing the National Treasury attempting to justify the lack of budgeting for such an important issue,” Nyoro remarked.
This budgetary change comes just two days after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced that starting next year, parents would be required to pay exam fees for their children.
Speaking during an interview on NTV on Saturday, May 24, Mbadi explained that covering all students’ exam fees had become unsustainable due to the increasing financial demands across the education sector.
Mbadi pointed out that the government’s plan going forward would be to subsidize exam fees only for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those in public schools or living in marginalized areas.
“We must reconsider the logic of paying examination fees for every student, including those in private schools who can afford it. The goal should be to help students who genuinely need support,” the CS explained.
“However,” he clarified, “since we are already halfway through the year, the government will go ahead and fund the 2024 KCSE exams for all candidates, regardless of their ability to pay.”
This latest development comes as a relief to thousands of parents and students across the country, who had been worried about the additional financial burden of exam fees.
The government’s decision ensures that no candidate will be denied the chance to sit for their final exams due to lack of funds, at least for this year.
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