Nairobi is abuzz with the news: the education sector has emerged as the undisputed winner in Kenya's proposed 2025/2026 national budget, slated to receive a colossal Ksh.702.7 billion. As an editor, a citizen, and perhaps most pertinently, a parent with a child navigating the demanding currents of our school system, this figure immediately catches my eye. It's a grand sum, certainly. But the critical question, etched onto the faces of every parent and teacher I speak to, is this: Will this monumental allocation truly translate into a tangible easing of the heavy burden currently weighing down our homes and our educators?
The Big Numbers vs. Real-Life Burden
On paper, the breakdown looks promising. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to receive a significant Ksh.387.2 billion, alongside Ksh.58.9 billion allocated for free primary and secondary education, and a crucial Ksh.58.5 billion earmarked for higher education loans and scholarships. These are indeed impressive figures, signaling a commitment to a sector that forms the backbone of our nation's future. Yet, a collective sigh of cautious optimism, laced with a familiar skepticism, echoes across the country.
For years, we've grappled with an ever-increasing array of fees – tuition, development levies, activity charges, and a myriad of other contributions that make 'free education' feel more like a distant dream. As a parent, I pay tuition and everything else that comes with it. So, my main pick, as a citizen and a parent, is this: will this allocation really go hand-in-hand with offsetting the heavy load that's being cast on parents? Or will the monies simply disappear into the labyrinthine system, leaving us to shoulder the same, if not heavier, financial responsibilities?
Teacher Welfare: Unanswered Questions and Lingering Doubts
Then there are our dedicated teachers, the frontline heroes of our education system. This substantial allocation to the TSC brings forth a cascade of urgent questions regarding their welfare. For too long, we've heard harrowing tales of teachers unable to access essential medical treatment simply because their employer, the very institution responsible for their well-being, has failed to remit their monthly insurance contributions. Does this now mean that teachers' insurance cover will be remitted? Because we have been living in an era where a teacher who labours for the betterment of the education sector can't even find treatment just because their employer hasn't remitted what's to be channeled monthly on their insurance health plan.
Furthermore, for those courageous educators serving in insecure parts of the country, facing daily threats and dangers, does this mean teachers working in insecure parts of the country are now going to be assured of security?
And what about their payslips? While the TSC receives a large sum, the burning question remains: will there be a raise and increment in salary payment on the teachers' payslips? Or will they still walk home with empty bank accounts just because even the little they have made from their duty has been chopped off by tax collectors, perhaps for an affordable house that they won't even need to live in, let alone own? The frustration is palpable, and rightfully so. A budget that doesn't visibly improve the take-home pay and living conditions of our teachers is a budget that fails a crucial segment of our society.
Exams and Accountability: Averted Crisis or Band-Aid?
The ghost of past uncertainties also haunts the crucial matter of national examinations. Kenya recently faced a nerve-wracking situation where the initial budget estimates shockingly excluded funding for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), threatening the very execution of national exams like KPSEA, KJSEA, and KCSE. While the government commendably allocated an additional Sh5.9 billion to cover these costs after public outcry, one must ask: does this mean this year's end-of-year exams will go on successfully as they should? And is this allocation merely a band-aid, or does it signify a clear, sustainable plan for seamless examination processes going forward?
Ultimately, the true measure of this budget's "win" for education will not be found in the impressive figures tabled in Parliament, but in its tangible impact on the ground. Is there a plan in motion yet for this allocation, or is the money going to be embezzled just like we have seen in the past?
As an Editor, my stance is clear: while the sheer volume of funds directed to education is a welcome and necessary step, the victory remains symbolic until it translates into tangible relief for parents, secured welfare for teachers, and an undeniably enhanced learning environment for every Kenyan child. The real triumph of this budget will be in its diligent, transparent, and corruption-free implementation, for only then can we truly say that education has, indeed, won.
