The National Treasury has confirmed that it has fully disbursed all capitation funds to public primary, junior, and secondary schools for the current financial year. Speaking during a media briefing, Principal Secretary Dr. Chris Kiptoo announced that a final tranche of Ksh 22 billion was released on May 19, completing the funding cycle for the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
“I want to inform Kenyans that we are up to date when it comes to the release of funds to schools. We have paid for Term 1 and Term 2, and on May 19, we paid the final amount for the third term. We have no balance for this year,” Kiptoo stated.
This comes in response to growing concerns raised by school heads over alleged delays in the disbursement of capitation funds. Headteachers have cited financial strain, deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and mounting unpaid bills as key challenges affecting learning. Many argue that the issues have been compounded by rising enrollment levels and escalating operational costs.
However, Dr. Kiptoo emphasized that the Treasury had fulfilled its financial obligations, and any concerns over the distribution of funds should now be directed to the Ministry of Education. “If there are still any questions as to whether schools have received [the money] or not, it’s a matter that should be answered by the Ministry of Education because they have received the money,” he said.
According to the Treasury, a total of Ksh 54.6 billion was allocated for Free Day Secondary Education, Ksh 30.4 billion for Junior Secondary Schools, and Ksh 8.4 billion for Free Primary Education in the 2024–2025 budget. The final payments included Ksh 11.6 billion for secondary schools, Ksh 8.9 billion for junior secondary, and Ksh 1.4 billion for primary schools—all disbursed on May 19.
The confirmation by the Treasury is expected to ease pressure on the government amid ongoing scrutiny over the efficiency of education funding. The Ministry of Education is now under the spotlight to ensure timely distribution of these funds to all public learning institutions.
