Mombasa: The government will strengthen the existing school auditing department to ensure proper financial management of public funds. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said auditing of funds given to schools countrywide will continue to be done, noting that the Ministry of Education will receive a whopping Sh702.7 billion, the largest share in the 2025/2026 national budget of Sh4.239 Trillion.
According to Kenya News Agency, the allocated budget is almost 28 percent of the entire budget, surpassing the UNESCO recommendation that 20 percent of a nation's budget be allocated to education. Ogamba emphasized the importance of utilizing these resources optimally and effectively, without undue wastage, to cover the largest number of students. Speaking during the inaugural National Retreat of Public Universities Councils in Mombasa, the CS stated that audit reports will hold accountable those found guilty of misappropriating funds.
Out of the Sh702.7 billion allocation, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will receive Sh387.2 billion, including Sh7.2 billion earmarked for the recruitment of intern teachers. To address the teachers' gap, the government plans to recruit 24,000 intern teachers in the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year. Additionally, Sh5.9 billion is set aside for national examinations, while the School Feeding Programme will receive Sh3 billion. Free Primary Education will also benefit from Sh7 billion.
Ogamba also addressed concerns about the School Feeding Programme budget, assuring that learners from Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and informal settlements will continue to receive meals to boost school attendance and retention. Meanwhile, he welcomed the High Court's verdict outlawing the imposition of extra levies by schools, reiterating that the government's position prohibits unauthorized levies by school administrators.
The CS warned school heads imposing extra levies not permitted by the government that they will face legal consequences.