Parents with candidates preparing for this year’s KPSEA, Junior Secondary School (JSS), and KCSE examinations have been handed a reprieve after the government reinstated Ksh5.9 billion in funding for national assessments.
On Monday, May 26, the National Assembly’s Education Committee Chair, Julius Melly, directed the Finance Committee to source the funds from the recurrent capitation budget allocated to schools.
Melly proposed reallocating Ksh3 billion from secondary school capitation, Ksh2 billion from junior secondary, and Ksh900 million from primary schools to support the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
Despite the move, Melly noted that the total requirement for administering the national exams stands at Ksh11 billion—leaving a shortfall of Ksh5.1 billion.
“Examinations are a critical component of our education system. Without proper funding, the credibility and effectiveness of the assessment process is at risk,” he said.
During the session, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro criticised the government’s earlier stance of not allocating funds for the exams.
“It was very insensitive for the government not to allocate money for examinations. It was even more abhorrent to hear CS John Mbadi trying to justify the reason for non-budgeting for examinations,” said Nyoro.
The remarks come just days after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi announced that the upcoming 2025/26 budget would not fully cover national examination fees.
Mbadi explained that the government would retain the fee waiver only for learners from low-income families, citing fiscal constraints and the need to cut reliance on borrowing.
“We have to review the costs. Why should we pay examination fees for all students?” Mbadi posed.
“In 2026, we expect around three million learners to sit national examinations. If a parent can afford Ksh300,000 or Ksh1 million a year for private schooling, surely, paying Ksh5,000 for an exam fee shouldn’t be a burden. Why should struggling taxpayers carry that cost?”
The reinstated funding brings partial relief to parents, though questions linger over how the remaining Ksh5.1 billion deficit will be addressed ahead of the examination season.
