DP KINDIKI: EDUCATION SECTOR GETS RECORD BUDGET ALLOCATION

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that the government has allocated the largest budget ever to the education sector, marking what he described as a turning point in Kenya’s investment in learning.

Speaking during the Murang’a Technical Training Institute graduation ceremony on Thursday, Prof. Kindiki said the government is prioritizing education as the foundation of economic growth and national transformation.

“For a long time, we have been allocating Sh650 billion, but this year we are releasing a record Sh702 billion,” he said. “If there is anyone who doubts where the government places education, look at this budget.”

According to the DP, the allocation accounts for nearly 30 percent of the national budget — the biggest share directed to any single ministry.

Kindiki outlined government measures to expand school infrastructure, including the construction of 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 new laboratories to support STEM subjects in junior and senior schools.

He also noted that reforms have been introduced to stabilize the new curriculum, which he described as “Curriculum Based Education,” emphasizing a holistic approach to learning.

On teacher recruitment, the DP said the government has employed 76,000 teachers in the last three years and plans to hire an additional 24,000 by December. “We mean business when we talk about transforming our education system,” he said.

Kindiki highlighted efforts to revive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), saying enrollment has grown from 297,000 students in 2022 to 700,000 currently. The target, he added, is to reach one million students by the end of this year and two million by the end of 2026.

The DP said TVET reforms include modular training programs and Recognition of Prior Learning systems designed to make skills development more accessible. He announced the recruitment of 5,800 additional tutors to strengthen the institutions.

He also pointed to a new funding model aimed at sustaining universities and easing financial pressures on higher education.

“We value the young people. They are the treasure of our nation,” he said. “They have the energy, the skills, and the future of Kenya depends on them. We are spending every effort to create job opportunities for them.”