The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is urging Parliament to allocate full capitation funds for schools, warning that underfunding risks derailing the academic calendar and worsening the country’s teacher crisis.
Speaking in Nairobi, KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori called on the National Assembly to maintain the current capitation rate of KSh 22,244 per learner and ensure the immediate disbursement of funds for the 2025 academic year.
“Schools are struggling to meet basic operational costs. The Ministry of Finance must release the entire capitation without delay so that institutions can prepare adequately for term three,” Misori said.
He also highlighted long-standing structural issues in the education sector, particularly the controversial placement of junior secondary schools within primary school compounds. According to Misori, this policy has strained facilities and blurred educational mandates.
KUPPET further called on the government to honor President Ruto’s Labour Day pledge to hire 20,000 new teachers. The union says the move is vital to ease classroom overcrowding and reduce the workload for current teaching staff.
Recent data from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) reveals a staggering national teacher deficit of 1.66 million, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing the education sector.
KUPPET is calling for a national dialogue to address what it terms a looming education crisis and warned that failure to act could see further disruptions in schools across the country.
