- Kenya’s education budget has moved beyond the EAC’s regional financing target.
- More than 100,000 teachers have been recruited since 2022 as the government expands teaching capacity.
- TVET enrolment and recognition of prior learning are opening new pathways into jobs and further education.
Kenya has surpassed the East African Community (EAC) regional commitment on education financing, with the education sector allocation now standing at Ksh784.5 billion, Principal Secretary (PS), State Department for Higher Education and Research, Dr Beatrice Inyangala, has said.
Dr Inyangala said the increased investment demonstrates Kenya’s commitment to turning regional education resolutions into tangible outcomes, as East African countries work towards building resilient and future-ready education systems.
Speaking during the Second East African Community Regional Conference on Education at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Dr Inyangala represented Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba Migos.
She said Kenya had made significant progress since the first EAC regional education conference, where member states resolved to allocate at least 20 per cent of their national budgets to education.
According to Dr Inyangala, Kenya has gone beyond the agreed threshold, with the current allocation to the education sector reaching Ksh784.5 billion.
She said the government had also stepped up efforts to strengthen the country’s teaching workforce, with more than 100,000 teachers recruited since 2022.
The recruitment, she noted, has expanded teaching capacity and supported efforts to improve access to quality learning across the country.
Beyond basic and secondary education, Dr Inyangala highlighted the growing importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship.
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Kenya currently has more than 709,785 learners enrolled in TVET institutions, reflecting increased confidence in technical skills, competency-based training and alternative pathways to higher education and employment.
The PS said Kenya was also making progress in the implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which enables individuals to have competencies acquired through work experience and other learning pathways assessed and formally recognised.
She said RPL would play an important role in ensuring that skills acquired outside conventional education systems are recognised, helping to improve employability and create smoother pathways into further education and training.
Dr Inyangala said the achievements demonstrate that the region is gradually moving from making education commitments to delivering measurable impact.
“As East Africa looks to build resilient and future-ready education systems, our focus must remain on sustained investment, quality teaching, innovation and pathways that equip our young people to be competitive in the world of work and contribute meaningfully to the development of our region,” she said.
She called for continued collaboration among EAC member states, education institutions, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen education systems and ensure that learners acquire relevant skills for a rapidly changing global economy.
The Second EAC Regional Conference on Education brought together key stakeholders to assess progress made in implementing regional education commitments and deliberate on strategies for improving access, quality, skills development and innovation.
Among those attending the conference were Cabinet Secretary for East African Community Affairs and Regional Development Beatrice Askul, Council Chair Rebecca Alitwala, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Etleva Kadilli, invited dignitaries and senior Ministry of Education officials.
The conference comes at a time when East African countries are seeking to strengthen human capital development through increased investment in education, skills training and innovative learning pathways.
For Kenya, Dr Inyangala said the progress recorded in education financing, teacher recruitment, TVET expansion and recognition of skills acquired through different learning pathways demonstrates a growing shift from policy commitments to practical results.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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