The National Assembly Education Committee has brought attention to a significant issue in the 2025/26 national budget: no funds have been set aside for crucial national exams.
This includes the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KEPSEA), Junior Secondary School (JSS), and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, all of which urgently require funding for preparation and invigilation.
The committee members expressed serious concern about this oversight. These national exams happen every year and are vital to the education system, so it’s surprising to see them left out of the budget.
During the budget defense meeting, Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that there are indeed funding gaps. He reassured the committee that talks are underway with the National Treasury and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to resolve the issue.
“We assure the public that we are discussing with National Treasury to ensure that we address this issue,” PS Bitok said.
Committee Chairperson Julius Melly (Tinderet) emphasized how important it is to allocate resources for exams, given their annual occurrence. He questioned why these allocations were left out, pointing out the necessity of funding these assessments.
MP Jerusha Momanyi (Nyamira) challenged the Treasury’s position, asking, “What is wrong with exams of our children? Does Treasury want to do away with exams or does it want to communicate to parents to start paying examination fees?”
The committee was not satisfied with the explanations from PS Bitok and National Treasury representative Nehemiah Odera, calling for more detailed justifications from those responsible.
Budget Cuts Impacting Education Sector
It was revealed that the overall education budget has been cut by Ksh 62 billion, money that would have supported vital activities like exam administration.
MPs have requested a revised budget presentation and have summoned KNEC officials to explain how exams will proceed without the necessary funding.
This situation raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to education and what this means for students and their families.
