The Treasury’s move to cut school capitation has disproportionately affected vulnerable learners, exacerbating inequality in Kenya’s education sector. Children from poor and rural backgrounds are the hardest hit, with some already dropping out.
With fewer funds, many public schools can no longer afford to provide meals, remedial classes, or counseling services—services that are crucial for learners from disadvantaged homes. Elite schools, with better fundraising capacity, have managed to cushion the impact, widening the performance and opportunity gap.
Teachers and community leaders report that some learners, especially in informal settlements, have dropped out due to increased levies or lack of lunch programs. Girls are particularly vulnerable, with fears of early marriages and child labor becoming more prevalent as education becomes unaffordable.
Civil society groups, education stakeholders, and lawmakers have called for targeted interventions such as bursaries, constituency development fund (CDF) allocations, and county support to keep students in school. There are also calls to increase budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education.
If not reversed, the capitation cut risks undoing decades of progress in improving access to education. To safeguard Kenya’s future, the government must urgently prioritize funding for public schools, particularly those in marginalised areas.
