The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is grappling with severe financial shortfalls that threaten its ability to conduct national assessments, Members of Parliament have cautioned.
Legislators say the council requires at least KSh1 billion to complete a stalled building project, while day-to-day operations remain strained under limited resources.
The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, chaired by Wanami Wamboka, raised concerns on Tuesday that KNEC’s heavy reliance on grants is unsustainable.
“Public funds allocated to education must deliver results that learners and taxpayers can see and trust,” Wamboka said, pledging to work with the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Departmental Committee on Education to secure adequate allocations for the council.
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The committee also directed the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to use existing resources to complete a stalled education resource centre and submit missing documentation. MPs signalled plans to consult the National Treasury over staffing gaps at the institution.
Last week, legislators backed a KSh284 billion increase to the education sector budget, warning that without urgent intervention, funding shortfalls in schools and universities could derail learning nationwide.
In its submission to the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the National Assembly’s Education Committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, highlighted that the 2026/27 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) proposals are insufficient and threaten to disrupt key programmes, including capitation for primary and secondary schools, scholarships, loans, infrastructure development, examinations, and teachers’ welfare.
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“These critical resource gaps in the sector need to be addressed to ensure that what the BPS 2026 envisages in terms of scaling up investment in people through education, skills development, scientific training and innovation is realised,” the committee said in its report.
By Masaki Enock
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