Between April and May 2026, GI-ESCR participated in a series of advocacy sessions aimed to strengthen accountability in education financing and improving the quality of learning in Kenya’s public schools.
The first was a consultative advocacy initiative held on 14 April at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) offices in Nairobi, Kenya. Convened by the National CSO Working Group on Education Sector Budget Engagement, Governance and Accountability, of which GI-ESCR is a member, the initiative seeks to address persistent budget shortfalls and the weak connection between education spending and learning outcomes in Kenya’s basic education sector. The consultative forum brought together civil society organisations, education experts, policymakers and sector stakeholders to examine how Kenya’s education budget can better deliver meaningful learning outcomes for learners while addressing chronic underfunding in public education.
The session's main objective was to strengthen the alignment between public education financing and measurable learning outcomes, with a focus on influencing the Ministry of Education, National Treasury, Teachers Service Commission and the Parliamentary budget process ahead of the finalisation of the FY 2026/27 national budget allocations. By raising awareness and fostering evidence-based engagement the session aimed to improve transparency and accountability in education financing, reduce the burden of education costs placed on households and strengthen the constitutional promise of free and compulsory basic education.
Discussions at the session highlighted a key concern: while Kenya has made progress in expanding school enrolment and access, public budgets continue to focus primarily on indicators such as enrolment, completion and transition rates, without clearly demonstrating whether learners are achieving expected competencies in literacy, numeracy and other learning outcomes. Participants noted that despite substantial public spending, reporting linking education expenditure to actual learning achievements remains limited.
Participants also examined growing financing gaps affecting the State Department for Basic Education and the Teachers Service Commission. Persistent budget shortfalls continue to contribute to teacher shortages, inadequate school infrastructure, insufficient learning materials and the widespread reliance on school levies and parental contributions to sustain public education, despite the right to free basic education being a constitutional right.
The participants identified several priority areas for advocacy, including:
Building on the outcomes of the consultative forum, civil society organisations under the National Working Group on Budget Advocacy, Governance and Social Accountability formally wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Hon. Julius Ogamba on 22 April to raise urgent concerns ahead of the submission of the draft FY2026/27 budget estimates to Parliament. The letter, which you can find below, highlighted two key issues:
To sustain momentum and deepen public engagement, the working group also convened a webinar on 8 May, on Education Budget Gaps and Recommendations ahead of the invitation by the National Assembly’s Public Participation on the FY 2026/27 Budget. The session unpacked key financing gaps in Kenya’s education budget and supported participants develop informed, evidence-based recommendations for submission during parliamentary public participation processes. The webinar served as an important platform for strengthening civic participation and equipping stakeholders with practical tools to engage meaningfully in budget advocacy.
On 23 May, together with partners under the National CSO Working Group on Education Sector Budget Engagement, Governance and Accountability, we submitted a memorandum to the National Assembly. The memorandum argued that the FY 2026/27 education budget does not adequately match actual enrolment trends, staffing needs, infrastructures gaps and government commitments. It highlighted significant funding shortfalls across basic education, school feeding, teacher management, TVET and higher education and calls for accountability and increased public investment to realise the right to public education.
The advocacy efforts are backed by education and human rights actors who bring expertise in public finance, accountability and the right to education. Through strategic collaboration, the campaign aims to advance practical recommendations to the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury and Parliament to improve budget transparency, better align public spending with learning outcomes and addressing financing deficits that undermine equitable access to quality education.
This work aligns closely with our strategic objective of advancing adequately financed, equitable and quality public services as essential to the realisation of human rights. Strengthening transparency accountability and public investment in education is critical to ensuring that all children, regardless of background, can access free quality and inclusive education in line with constitutional and international human rights commitments.
