Parents are now reassured after the National Assembly assigned Ksh5.9 billion to finance national examinations across primary, junior, and secondary schools.
This decision comes in response to public uproar after earlier budget drafts excluded funding for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), leaving uncertainty for candidates scheduled to take the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in September.
The National Assembly Committee on Education has suggested redirecting Ksh5.9 billion from other budget items to cover examination expenses. The proposal has been submitted to the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) for approval.
This follows remarks by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, who said the government plans to review the structure and management of examinations, including reconsidering who qualifies for subsidized examination fees.
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“There is a proposed increment of Ksh5.9 billion for examination administration and invigilation for provision for national examinations which had not been provided in the budget,” the committee stated in its 2025/26 budget report to the BAC.
The proposed funds will be reallocated from recurrent capitation amounts: Ksh2 billion from junior schools, Ksh3 billion from secondary schools, and KSh900 million from primary schools.
To administer the 2025 KPSEA, KJSEA, and KCSE exams, KNEC requires a total of Ksh12.58 billion. However, budget estimates presented to the National Assembly show a Ksh62 billion shortfall in the education sector, with significant cuts to several previously prioritized funding areas under the Budget Policy Statement. Notably, the estimates had entirely excluded funding for examinations and invigilation.
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Julius Melly, chair of the National Assembly Education Committee, had earlier warned that the committee would refuse to finalize its budget report without restoring the examination funds. “We shall not write our report without the examination money,” he said to Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok during a committee session on May 13.
The PS was instructed to submit an addendum in consultation with the Treasury to reinstate critical allocations, including funds for examinations, school capitation, quality assurance, and the school feeding program.
CS Mbadi recently reassured parents, stating they should not worry about examination funding. He affirmed that the funds would be provided and only the structure of the exam system would undergo revision.
By Cornelius korir
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