Kisii Senator Says Education Should Be Free In Kenya At All Levels
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has now stated that education in Kenya must be free at all levels.
Speaking on Tuesday, Onyonka stated that the amount of money allocated to the Education Ministry is sufficient to ensure free education.
According to the Senator, the education ministry’s budget was what the third President, Mwai Kibaki, used to run the country for the first two years after being elected.
We collected over 1 Trillion as revenue in the past Financial Year, can we be given a breakdown on which DEVELOPMENT PROJECT/s was financed? It became part of the LOOT that men and women in government share, then rush to subject Kenyans to more taxation!#TheSystemIsBroken pic.twitter.com/0Svrj3gudM
— Senator Richard Onyonka (@RichardOnyonka_) September 4, 2024
The Senator questioned why the money that once powered a whole country could not fund the entire Ministry of Education and provide free education.
He claimed that most of the money ends up in people’s pockets.
“University education, primary school education, and secondary school education in Kenya must be free. Why do I say so?” the Kisii Senator posed.
Senator Onyonka: University education, primary school education, secondary school education in Kenya must be free. Why do I say so? We are giving the Ministry of Education 633 billion shillings a year. That is the money President Kibaki run this country the first year he took… pic.twitter.com/xePj0Nqvcp
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) September 3, 2024
“Look at the amount of money we are giving the Ministry of Education Sh633 billion a year. That is the money President Kibaki ran this country the first year he took office and his second year.
“He paid teachers, doctors, lawyers, paid everybody who would run this country,” Onyonka said on Citizen TV.
“That is the budget of the Ministry of Education only. Where is the money going? The money that you people are supposed to get as capitation for you to go to school for free is being eaten by gentlemen and ladies.”
The Senator was part of a team discussing the new Financing Model, which has been a source of contention in the country.
President William Ruto’s administration has defended the funding model, claiming that it benefits the country’s poorest citizens.
The education sector benefited significantly from the 2024/25 national budget, receiving nearly 30% of the funds.
Why give HELB 21 billion yet it's dealing with 200,000 university students and you give me in the National Assembly and the Senate 36 Billion yet we are only 700 people?
— Senator Richard Onyonka (@RichardOnyonka_) September 3, 2024
We ought to start giving PRIORITY to more URGENT needs for us to cure the BROKEN SYSTEM! pic.twitter.com/s6Dnt9QHaG
The sector received Sh656.6 billion of the Sh3.92 trillion fiscal estimates, accounting for 27.6 percent.
This was an increase over the Sh544.4 billion allocated to the sector in the fiscal year 2023/24.
Of these funds, Sh358.2 billion will go to the Teachers Service Commission, which employs teachers, and Sh142.3 billion will go to the Department of Basic Education.
The department oversees primary and secondary schools, and Sh128 billion will be allocated to the Department of Higher Education and Research.
Kisii Senator Says Education Should Be Free In Kenya At All Levels
