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Kenyan Catholic Bishop Says Government’s Alleged Plans to Stop Free Education Funding Will Cause Crisis

Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe of the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega in Kenya. Credit: Catholic Justice and Peace Department - Diocese of Kakamega
Silas Isenjia

By Silas Isenjia

Nairobi, 30 July, 2025 / 4:56 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Kakamega has criticized alleged government plans to scrap free education, warning that such a move would trigger a crisis in the education sector by shifting the financial burden onto already struggling parents.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, July 28, Bishop Obanyi said that should government capitation in schools in Kenya be removed, most learning institutions in the East African nation will not be able to operate.

“If capitation is removed from schools, there's going to be a crisis. I'm aware that many of the institutions, even when they were not getting this capitation on time, some of them were taking overdrafts, awaiting the capitation,” he said.

The Bishop explained that if capitation is removed, schools will not operate. He said, “Now, the burden goes to the parents, and the parents are already burdened enough. It means we are going back; we are actually retrogressing.”

The Kenyan government, under the Free Primary Education (FPE) program (2003) and the Free Day Secondary/Junior Secondary Education policy, provides annual capitation grants to learners, designed to cover operational costs such as teaching materials, utilities, and co-curricular activities.

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However, the government has refuted the claims that it plans to withdraw free education funding. The country’s Treasury Cabinet Secretary has affirmed that capitation grants remain a policy priority and are still expected to support public schools. 

CS John Mbadi has said that there's no indication of a plan to eliminate capitation grants entirely as has been claimed.

The country’s Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba has also dismissed claims that the government has revoked capitation for free primary and secondary school education, clarifying that the government has only reduced the capitation fee due to budgetary adjustments in the current 2025/2026 fiscal year.

CS Ogamba attributed the budget constraints to the growing school enrolment despite the government's commitment to the 100 per cent transition policy. He emphasized that free and compulsory basic education is a constitutional right of every child, adding that the government has neither the intention nor the power to abrogate this sacrosanct right.

In his July 28 press briefing, Bishop Obanyi emphasized that the country’s Constitution stipulates that education for children should not only be free, but also compulsory, and basic to every child.

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“It means if we don't give even a little capitation, ideally, the government is supposed to take care of the whole expense of a child in school, not just the little capitation that is being given now,” said the Local Ordinary of Kakamega Diocese.

He emphasized that any attempt to remove capitation from schools, “not even adding to it, is making the situation worse, and I don't think it's going to help parents.”

“That's why we pray that the government rethinks this idea. Let them look for ways of maintaining children in school with capitation, and eventually, yearly, compulsory, and free education for our children,” he said.

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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