The Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Julius Melly for Tinderet, has proposed a reallocation of Kshs. 5.9 billion in the 2025/26 Financial Year Budget to support the administration and invigilation of national examinations, an item previously omitted from the budget estimates.
The proposed reallocation would be sourced from the recurrent capitation votes for Secondary Schools (Kshs. 3 billion), Junior Schools (Kshs. 2 billion), and Primary Schools (Kshs. 900 million).
However, Melly noted that the total requirement for national examinations stands at Kshs. 11 billion, leaving a funding shortfall of Kshs. 5.1 billion.
“Examinations are a critical component of our education system. Without proper funding, the credibility and effectiveness of the assessment process are at risk,” said Melly, while appearing before the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
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In addition to examination funding, the Education Committee has requested Kshs. 7.3 billion to facilitate the conversion of 20,000 intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms upon the conclusion of their internship contracts later this year.
To address staffing shortages in technical training institutions, the committee also proposed an allocation of Kshs. 1.9 billion to recruit 2,000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) instructors.
“This will bridge the current TVET instructor gap, which stands at 6,000, Melly added.
Other key funding proposals include Kshs. 17 billion for university scholarships to support 208,000 incoming students, and Kshs. 3.7 billion as a matching fund for school infrastructure development through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
The Budget and Appropriations Committee is set to deliberate on these proposals, alongside others, as it prepares to finalise its report later this week.
By our reporter
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