Machogu’s Ministry Hit by Ksh57 Billion Budget Slash Amid Austerity Push
The National Treasury has announced significant budget cuts in the Programme Based Budget 2024/25, affecting critical areas such as Agriculture, Healthcare, Energy, Cooperatives, Trade, and Industry.
Education is hit hard, with major reductions across the departments responsible for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVETs), Higher Education, and Basic Education, totaling almost Ksh 57 billion in the next fiscal year.
The budget cuts include a reduction of Ksh 2.94 billion for TVETs, Ksh 34.39 billion for Higher Education, and Ksh 19.43 billion for Basic Education.
The new allocations set for these areas are Ksh 29.97 billion for TVETs, Ksh 120.13 billion for Higher Education, and Ksh 139.14 billion for Basic Education.
Primary schools are notably affected, facing a Ksh 6.64 billion decrease, leaving their budget at Ksh 25.68 billion, while secondary education sees a slight increase to Ksh 104.78 billion.
Quality Assurance and Standards in Basic Education also experienced a Ksh 1 billion cut, resulting in a budget of Ksh 4.16 billion, and General Administration, Planning, and Support Services face a similar reduction, with a budget of Ksh 4.55 billion.
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Higher Education is not spared, with universities losing nearly Ksh 9 billion and receiving an allocated budget of Ksh 118.82 billion, down from Ksh 127.5 billion in the previous year.
Public universities, including 31 chartered universities and four public university constituent colleges, rely heavily on Higher Education funding for operations.
They face financial challenges, owing Ksh 75 billion in pending bills, a figure that has doubled in two years.
However, there is some positive news for teachers, as the Teachers Service Commission will receive an increase of Ksh 9.35 billion to hire 20,000 teachers this fiscal year, improving the teacher-student ratio and addressing shortages.
Education CS Ezekiel Machogu emphasized the seriousness of the situation, noting the unprecedented hiring under the Kenya Kwanza administration, which added 56,750 teachers to ensure smooth school operations.
The State Department for Basic Education oversees various aspects, including policy management, primary and secondary education administration, curriculum development, and national examination oversight.
Machogu’s Ministry Hit by Ksh57 Billion Budget Slash Amid Austerity Push
