The National Assembly has urgently redirected a staggering Sh5.9 billion to rescue the 2025 national exams from looming collapse.

For weeks, panic had gripped parents, students, and teachers after it emerged that the original budget shockingly allocated zero funds to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) — the body responsible for administering the KPSEA, KJSEA, and KCSE exams set for September 2025.

Now, relief has finally arrived — but not without fierce debate and high-stakes political wrangling.The funds, hastily pulled from capitation budgets meant for junior schools (Sh2 billion), secondary schools (Sh3 billion), and primary schools (Sh900 million), were proposed by the Education Committee and are currently under review by the powerful Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC).

“The budget had completely ignored exams. We will not present our report unless the money is reinstated,” thundered Education Committee Chair Julius Melly, sending a stern ultimatum during a tense session with Basic Education PS Julius Bitok.

This eleventh-hour budget fix is crucial, as the total cost for conducting the 2025 exams is pegged at Sh12.58 billion — and until now, not a single shilling had been set aside.

The revelation of a Sh62 billion shortfall in the education sector’s budget sparked public outrage and heavy scrutiny from stakeholders, with many accusing the Treasury of neglecting a core pillar of the nation’s future: its children’s education.

In a bid to calm the storm, National Treasury CS John Mbadi assured Kenyans that the government is committed to safeguarding exams, hinting at a possible overhaul in exam fee subsidies to ensure fairer access.“There’s no reason to panic,” Mbadi said.

“The funds will be made available — and reforms are on the way.”But for many, the damage has been done.

The crisis has exposed deep cracks in Kenya’s budget planning and raised urgent questions: How did such a critical sector get overlooked — and who is being held accountable?