- KESSHA Narok Branch Chair Joseph Mutai urged the government to raise per‑learner funding from Sh14,000 to Sh22,000, citing operational challenges.
- Mutai appealed for equitable investment in school facilities across Narok and timely fee payment by parents to ease financial strain.
- He warned that inadequate resources, including food shortages, contribute to student unrest, urging government action to safeguard learning environments.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) has appealed to the government to increase capitation for secondary schools, saying the current funding is inadequate to support effective learning and the smooth running of institutions.
KESSHA Narok Branch Chairperson Joseph Mutai said school principals are grappling with numerous challenges due to reduced government funding.
Mutai, who is also the principal of Emurrua Dikirr Boys High School, said the funding gap has forced many schools to send students home over unpaid fees.
“The current capitation is not enough to meet the operational needs of our schools. We have so far received only Sh14,000 per learner instead of the expected Sh22,000, making it extremely difficult to run our institutions effectively,” said Mutai.
Speaking during celebrations to mark the School’s outstanding performance in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, He noted that the funding shortfall has affected the provision of essential services and learning resources, ultimately impacting the quality of education.
Mutai also called on the government to invest in the construction and upgrading of school infrastructure across Narok County, saying many schools in the region are operating with inadequate and dilapidated facilities.
“Schools in some parts of the country have modern infrastructure that rivals universities, yet many schools in Narok still struggle with poor and insufficient facilities. We need equitable investment in infrastructure,” he said.
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Mutai further appealed to parents to pay school fees on time to ease the financial burden on institutions.
“Timely payment of school fees by parents will greatly support the smooth running of schools and enable us to maintain quality education and improve academic performance,” Mutai added.
The association also linked the recent cases of unrest in schools to inadequate resources, particularly shortages of food and other essential supplies.
“Some of the unrest witnessed in schools can be traced to inadequate resources. The government should address these challenges to prevent similar incidents in the future,” he said.
Emurrua Dikirr Boys High School was among the top-performing schools in the county in the 2025 KCSE examinations, posting a mean score of 7.2. The school produced 131 university qualifiers, with its top candidate attaining an A- grade.
The achievement was celebrated by teachers, students, parents and education stakeholders, who hailed the school’s consistent academic improvement despite the financial challenges facing the education sector.
By Kimutai Langat
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