The Ministry of Education (MoE) has issued a circular outlining the management and accountability of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) funds for the first term of 2026.
According to the circular signed by Principal Secretary, State Department for Basic Education, Prof. Julius Bitok, each student is allocated Kshs.7,952.04. The enrolment data used for the disbursement was extracted from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) in April 2025 and later verified by Heads of Institutions and Sub‑County Directors of Education in November.
The circular details how the funds are to be utilized. Under tuition, Kshs.1,072.00 per learner is earmarked for teaching and learning materials, while Kshs.900.00 has been remitted to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) for centralized procurement of textbooks. A further Kshs.100.00 per learner has been sent to CEMESTEA for capacity building under the SMASSE programme, bringing the tuition subtotal to Kshs.2,072.00.
For operations, Kshs. 1,500.00 is allocated for maintenance and improvement, Kshs. 3,055.04 for personnel emoluments, electricity, water and conservancy, and administrative costs, Kshs. 575.00 for medical and insurance, and Kshs.375.00 retained for centralized co‑curricular activities. The operations subtotal stands at Kshs.5,880.04, bringing the total allocation per learner to Kshs.7,952.04.
Prof. Bitok directed that principals must acknowledge receipt of the funds by issuing official school receipts to the Principal Secretary, with copies to Sub‑County Directors of Education and County Directors of Education. Schools are also required to upload receipts through NEMIS, provide signed allocations by individual students, and ensure each student signs form lists showing admission numbers and full names. These lists must be attached to payment vouchers, with every student issued an official school receipt. The acknowledgement process must be completed within two weeks; failure to which future disbursements will be suspended.
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The circular further emphasized that any communication to the Ministry from heads of institutions must clearly indicate the Unique Institutional Code (UIC) for ease of record retrieval. County and Sub‑County Directors of Education were instructed to authenticate and monitor enrolment data, with schools required to refund any excess funds received if enrolment is lower than the figures used for disbursement.
In addition, maintenance and improvement funds must be transferred from the operations account to the infrastructure account within 15 days of receipt, in line with the Auditor‑General’s directive issued on June 16, 2021. This measure is intended to ensure proper separation of accounts, transparency, and accountability in managing school infrastructure development.
The circular also reminded schools of the ongoing registration of learners under the Social Health Authority’s universal medical scheme, in line with the constitutional right to health. Schools are required to inform parents and provide guidance to ensure smooth registration of all secondary school students under the scheme.
Bitok instructed all County Directors of Education to communicate the contents of the circular to principals of public secondary schools within their jurisdictions.
By Our Reporter
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