Nairobi, Kenya – May 14, 2025
A storm is brewing in Kenya’s education sector after it emerged that over 2.5 million learners may be locked out of the 2025 national examinations due to a shocking omission in the proposed 2025/26 national budget.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education on Tuesday, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Julius Bittok, alongside other top Ministry of Education officials, failed to justify why the entire budget meant for the administration of this year’s national assessments was left out of the proposal.
The Ministry had proposed an allocation of KSh6 billion to fund critical national tests—namely the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), and the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA). However, the official budgetary figures presented before Parliament show a shocking “KSh0” allocation for these exams.
The revelation has caused an uproar across the country, with education stakeholders, lawmakers, and parents expressing outrage and calling for immediate action.
“This is a serious lapse. You cannot claim to prioritize education and then fail to allocate even a shilling for exams that determine the future of millions of children,” said Hon. Julius Melly, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education. He termed the situation a “deliberate sabotage” of Kenya’s education system.
Teachers’ unions also condemned the omission, warning that it could throw the entire academic year into chaos. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) described the move as a dangerous gamble with the lives and futures of Kenyan children.
“If these exams are not conducted, it will be a complete collapse of the system. The government must act urgently to correct this,” a KUPPET official said during a press briefing.
The omission is particularly troubling as it threatens the progress of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which heavily depends on periodic assessments such as KPSEA and KJSEA. Without these assessments, learners in Grade 6 and Grade 9 would be left in academic limbo.
Lawmakers demanded that the Ministry of Education return with an amended budget immediately and warned that Parliament would not pass any financial plan that does not prioritize national examinations.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has yet to issue a statement, but insiders warn that preparations for the 2025 exams could stall unless urgent financing is secured.
With public pressure mounting, all eyes are now on the National Treasury and President William Ruto’s administration to address the glaring budget gap before it triggers a full-blown education crisis.
