Kiharu Member of Parliament, Ndindi Nyoro, has issued a stern warning to the government over what he termed as inadequate funding for schools in the 2026 academic year.
Speaking on Tuesday, January 6, the lawmaker criticized the government for releasing only Ksh109 per student to run schools for the current term, dismissing official statements about capitation disbursement as untrue and incorrect.
"Some of these things we are not begging. As leaders, sometimes we are just telling the government to do what they need to do. Last week we told the government clearly that they needed to release a circular in terms of capitation or we were going to do some unspecified actions," Nyoro stated.
The MP accused the government of failing to adequately fund schools for the year 2026, noting that only Ksh109 has been sent to institutions to cover operational costs for the entire term.
"So I'm also now calling the government. You have not funded schools in the year 2026. You've only sent 109 shillings only to run our schools for this term," he said.
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Nyoro outlined a two-phase strategy to address the capitation crisis. In the first phase, he pledged to make all stakeholders aware of what he called the government's misrepresentation of facts regarding school funding.
The legislator warned that he would be monitoring the government's actions closely during the term, specifically watching for the disbursement of actual funds rather than what he termed as ‘stories.’
"And we are going to observe within this term on the behaviour, the demeanour, the body language of government and especially in terms of sending money, not stories. And by the time we are going to the midterm, we expect the government to have sent the real money for this term," Nyoro said.
The MP issued an ultimatum, threatening to mobilize Kenyan parents if the government fails to release adequate capitation funds by midterm. He argued that parents have a right to demand proper funding since they pay taxes and free basic education is constitutionally guaranteed.
"Failure to which we are going to mobilise all the Kenyan parents to debate what is their right. And their right is that they pay taxes. Free basic education has been there in Kenya. The Kenyan parents cannot continue to observe silently as the government continues to tear down and annihilate the right of learners in Kenya by not adequately funding the free basic education," he warned.
Nyoro's remarks come just days after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced the release of Ksh44.2 billion as capitation for the first term of 2026.
According to Ogamba's statement issued on Friday, January 2, the funds were distributed across different levels of basic education, with Free Primary Education receiving Ksh3.7 billion, Free Day Junior School Education receiving Ksh14.5 billion, and Free Day Secondary Education receiving Ksh26.1 billion.
The Cabinet Secretary had indicated that the release would support school operations as the first term began on January 5, 2026, with Grade 10 learners expected to report to their respective senior schools starting January 12, 2026.
