The government has reassured Kenyans that free primary and secondary education will remain intact, dispelling fears sparked by recent remarks from Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi.

Speaking during a visit to St. Thomas Girls Secondary School in Kilifi, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok emphasized that the policy on free education has not changed, and the government remains committed to funding it through school capitation and support for national examinations.

This clarification follows statements made by CS Mbadi in Parliament, where he warned that the country is “living a lie” regarding free education due to the financial strain caused by mounting debt. While acknowledging the fiscal challenges, PS Bitok explained that Mbadi’s remarks were taken out of context and were meant to highlight the urgency of addressing the education funding gap.

“The government will continue financing education as it has been over the years. Our focus is to work with Parliament to secure adequate resources,” said Bitok, noting that although the education ministry was allocated a record Ksh.702 billion in the current financial year, the sector’s growing demands still outpace available funding.

To improve transparency and efficiency in managing education resources, the PS also announced the introduction of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), set to replace the current NEMIS platform.

“With KEMIS, we aim to track every learner, teacher, and transfer in real-time—eliminating delays, ghost entries, and ensuring funds are distributed where they are truly needed,” Bitok said.

The announcement signals the government’s continued prioritization of education, even in the face of economic constraints, and highlights efforts to modernize systems for better service delivery.