PNU Faults Budget Cuts to Education, Saying Children Risk Being Locked Out of School

The Party of National Unity(PNU) has criticised the government over budget cuts to basic education, saying the move could lock thousands of children out of school.

Addressing the press on Monday in Nairobi, PNU said the 2025/26 national budget had reduced funding for both Free Primary and Free Day Secondary Education, threatening access and transition for learners from low-income households.

“In the 2025/26 national budget, allocation for Free Primary Education has dropped from KSh 9.1 billion to KSh 7 billion, while Free Day Secondary Education has been slashed from KSh 61.9 billion to KSh 51.9 billion,” said Secretary General Frank Walukwe.

He said the cuts would impact poor families and strain an already overburdened system.

“The effect is that millions of Kenyan children remain trapped in an education system that is underfunded, overburdened, and falling apart at the seams,” he said.

Walukwe said previous governments had expanded access to education and improved literacy, contributing to national development.

“Education is the great equalizer and the launchpad for breaking free from generational poverty. A failure on this front will mark this government’s Waterloo moment,” he said.