The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide series of county-level forums with head teachers aimed at tackling persistent challenges in Kenya’s public schools, including delayed capitation disbursements, stalled teacher promotions, and gaps in medical insurance coverage.
In a statement on Monday, the Ministry said the engagements will be used to identify systemic obstacles and craft practical solutions to improve service delivery in the education sector.
The move follows feedback from the inaugural forum in Murang’a County, where school leaders raised concerns over late funding, inadequate infrastructure, and opaque promotion processes.
Medical Cover Disputes and Teacher Welfare
Participants also criticised the current medical coverage system, noting that teachers often pay for treatment out-of-pocket despite deductions for both the Social Health Authority (SHA) and a private scheme managed by Minet Kenya.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, who attended the Murang’a meeting, said the forums give policymakers a direct line to those managing schools on the ground.
“Head teachers, as frontline managers, have invaluable insights into the realities of our education system. Our plan is to visit every county to engage principals in open discussions about existing problems and potential improvements,” Bitok stated.
He pledged to work with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and unions to streamline the medical scheme, adding:
“It is unacceptable for teachers to be paying twice for medical coverage. We are working to establish a dependable medical plan, comparable to that of other civil servants.”
The PS also questioned the viability of schools with very low enrollment, some with as few as eight students, which still receive Sh40,000 in capitation annually.
Willie Kuria, chair of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), warned that many schools are deep in debt and risk losing assets to auctioneers. He also called for fairer and more transparent promotion criteria to prevent teacher career stagnation.
Unions present — including the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) — demanded timely and full capitation disbursements, prompt pension payments for retirees, and better coordination between TSC and Ministry field officers during inspections.
Treasury Signals Increased Education Funding
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, speaking at the Public-Private Partnership Symposium in Nairobi, said he would work with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to resolve capitation funding issues.
Mbadi stressed the need for more resources to meet policy-based funding thresholds, pointing to recent reductions in tuition fees for universities and colleges effective September 1 as part of efforts to ease the financial burden on students and families.
The CS came under fire in July after remarks suggesting free education was financially unsustainable. He later clarified that his comments were misinterpreted, explaining that current allocations do not cover the full per-student cost.
