Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
Ogamba also outlined measures to secure the movement of exam materials. Working with the Ministry of Interior and disaster management teams, the ministry has set up temporary collection points, deployed officers along key routes, and ensured papers reach their destinations on time, with extra precautions in flood-prone areas.
According to the report, 16,788 schools with 4.29 million learners received Sh1.22 billion after full verification. Another 3,979 schools with smaller enrolments—below 90 learners—also qualified for full payment amounting to Sh66.8 million. However, 3,065 schools that failed to submit accurate data were given only 50 per cent of their allocation, translating to Sh79.7 million for 280,900 learners based on data from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
Day school students will pay Sh9,374 annually, while those in special needs institutions will pay Sh37,210. The government will finance each student under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme at Sh12,870 annually, a decrease from Sh22,244. Special needs learners will receive a higher allocation of Sh32,600 per learner.
MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation, accusing the CS of being reluctant to act against corruption in his ministry. Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo criticised Ogamba for what she described as inaction and lack of urgency in handling the matter.
According to the deal, Sh3.88 billion will be released by December 31, 2025, while the remaining Sh3.88 billion will be paid by July 2026. A separate framework for talks on the 2025–2029 CBA will also be finalised within a month, marking a step towards resolving long-standing pay disputes in the university sector.
The verification process, launched in early September 2025, came after a special audit by the Office of the Auditor General uncovered serious irregularities in the education sector. That audit showed that 33 fictitious schools had received billions of shillings over the past four years. By the end of October, the Ministry reported finding roughly 50,000 ghost students from a sample of 12,000 public schools.
Parents must be consulted before any extra levies are introduced, while Boards of Management are required to ensure proper use of resources and give annual financial reports to parents. Schools must also offer bursaries or scholarships to support needy learners.
Members of the National Assembly’s Education Committee on Tuesday held a tense sitting with Treasury and Education officials, as well as representatives of university staff, in a push to revive stalled talks on the Sh7.9 billion collective bargaining agreement.
PS Bitok, who later visited the affected communities in Marakwet East, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, calling it a painful moment for the education sector.
UASU Vice Chairperson, Cyprian Ombati, said the union is pushing for harmonization of allowances under the upcoming 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to ensure that lecturers performing similar work receive equal compensation, regardless of the university they serve in.
Ombati said the lecturers’ strike, which began on September 17 following the lapse of a seven-day notice issued on September 10, is driven by three long-standing grievances that the government has ignored despite repeated engagements.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation, Ombati said that while universities continue to carry out research, inadequate financial support from the government remains a major obstacle to meaningful progress.
To manage the exam, 342,687 personnel have been deployed, including invigilators, supervisors, centre managers and security officers. Ogamba also highlighted a public reporting system that allows Kenyans to flag cheating attempts and officer misconduct.
The temporary halt, however, does not affect certain groups of students, including medical students on clinical rotations, TVET Institute students, Mombasa and Nakuru campus students, SODeL students, JKUAT/KESRA students, and postgraduate students involved in ongoing research.
According to Ogamba, the government has already paid Sh4.3 billion as the first part of the 2021–2025 CBA and an additional Sh2.73 billion as the second part. He said the remaining Sh2.73 billion is set to be cleared in the coming financial year as originally planned.
The payment arrangement follows advisory input from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and weeks of pressure from university unions demanding that the government honour the negotiated terms. Staff had accused authorities of delaying obligations contained in the collective bargaining agreements, saying the situation had left many workers struggling financially.
CS Ogamba said the council’s approved recurrent budget for the 2024/25 financial year allocated Sh5.9 billion for national assessments and examinations. Out of this, Sh3 billion was designated for the KCSE exams, Sh2 billion for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and Sh900 million for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA). However, the total requirement stood at Sh12.72 billion, creating a funding gap of Sh6.8 billion.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Friday, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga said the decision followed extensive deliberations by the union’s top organs, the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Delegates Conference (NDC).
The sitting, chaired by Senator Julius Murgor (West Pokot), examined a petition filed by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) TUK Chapter, representing workers whose contributions were reportedly never transferred to the pension scheme.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the project represents the company’s commitment to preparing Kenya’s youth for a technology-driven future.
Governor Sakaja said that the feeding programme launched in collaboration with partners was designed to uphold the dignity and well-being of every child in Nairobi’s public schools.
The new documents will not display traditional grades such as A, B, C, or D, nor the actual marks scored. This information will only be shared with the Ministry of Education for placement purposes into senior school. Certification will now only be awarded at the completion of basic education — at the end of Grade 12.
The Education CS further told MPs that 570 out of 990 primary schools failed to submit updated data to the ministry even after receiving half of their funds, a gap that continues to complicate the disbursement process. According to Ogamba, about 6,000 schools countrywide, ranging from primary to senior secondary, are still non-compliant with the ministry’s requirements, with some institutions operating with as few as 45 pupils.
During his visit to Litein Boys’ High School in Kericho County on Monday, Ogamba said the Ministry of Education would not allocate public funds to rebuild infrastructure ruined by learners, warning that parents would shoulder the cost to discourage similar unrest in future.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the ministry, working closely with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), had ensured that all affected candidates were able to sit their exams without disruption.
The AfDB, through its concessional lending arm, is partnering with the Ministry of Education to implement the initiative. HEST II will target 19 public universities, equipping them with modern laboratories, upgraded teaching materials, and advanced digital learning platforms.
The Ministry of Education has also issued strict guidelines requiring Centre Managers, Supervisors, Invigilators, and Security Officers to surrender their mobile phones once they collect examination materials. The phones will be stored securely during the entire exam period to curb communication that could compromise integrity.
The talks, held to resolve the Sh7.9 billion in salary arrears and other allowances, fell apart following sharp disagreements over the structure and timeline of payments.
In a letter dated October 21 and addressed to SRC Acting Secretary and CEO Margaret Njoka, Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the union had completely rejected the IPUCCF’s counter-offer, which was based on guidelines issued by the commission.
The upcoming senior school system, which will accommodate Grade 10 to 12 learners, is anchored on three pathways — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports. Fees will differ depending on the pathway and the school’s category, as each cluster requires different levels of infrastructure and learning materials.