Stephen Musungu
The national government has granted KSh 44.2 billion to counties as a second phase of funding to facilitate the necessary preparations for the 2026 academic year, which will eventually result in the country’s education and transport reopening becoming easier and thus the whole educational service going across the nation being empowered. This is a release that coincides with the time when students and schools are ready to resume their activities after the December–January holiday break, and a large part of the funding goes into meeting the urgent needs of the sector, such as the provision of infrastructure and the placement of teachers in schools.
Education Cabinet Secretary (ECS) stated that the funds release is part of the extensive equitable share and previous allocation, after which he remarked, “The cash is meant to ensure that all schools are properly furnished with the necessary equipment, are properly staffed, and are ready to take in the incoming students.” The counties have been directed not only to give priority to the urgent repair of schools and sanitation but also to acquiring learning materials and paying teacher allowances as part of the preparatory activities.
“We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition into the new academic term,” the Cabinet Secretary said, adding that the funds should be used and accounted for in a way that is transparent and that the whole process should be learner-oriented. The announcement drew applause from parents, headteachers, and educational stakeholders who have been advocating for such cases of disbursement to be made at a timely pace so as not to disrupt the reopening of schools.
In accordance with the allocation framework, the KSh 44.2 billion goes to county treasuries and is in line with budget allocations set aside for the purpose of augmenting the education functions that have been devolved. The education experts assert that the release of funds this early is paramount, as it gives counties and school boards sufficient time to take care of their maintenance backlogs and also to hire more teachers if necessary.
Some education officials from the counties said that they had already started the process of making schools ready even before the money got released, and they were even then planning for it by listing repairs, figuring out the water and sanitation situation, and assessing the stock of textbooks and classroom supplies. They mentioned, among others, that the money would also be used in special education programs and would strengthen the ongoing initiatives aimed at improving student enrollment and retention.
Parents were careful but optimistic, and they thought that the timely release of funds should prevent shortages and service delays that had already affected some schools in previous periods. One parent shared, “Last year we saw the delay in hiring support staff and fixing classrooms.” “We hope this fund will solve those problems before the learners come back.”
Even though the positive response was given, the education watchdogs were still ringing the alarm that effective monitoring and accountability would be the only in-place mechanisms to ensure funds are not diverted or misused. They insisted that if local communities are allowed to track spending publicly and get involved in oversight, the trust in the management of school funds will be greatly improved.
The funding increase is a time when Kenya still heavily emphasizes universal access to quality education and fair resource distribution, although public services are under the strain of budget cuts. The academic year 2026 is approaching quickly, and it is now the responsibility of county governments and school administrators to ensure that the allocation of resources leads to improved learning environments across the country.
