A tense exchange unfolded in Parliament after a senior government official made a candid admission that raised serious questions about how education is funded in Kenya.
Lawmakers were left unsettled after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba acknowledged that the state does not have clear data on how much it costs to educate a child from the first year of primary school to university level.
The comments were made on Wednesday during a parliamentary session held at Lake Naivasha Resort in Nakuru County.
The sitting was part of an ongoing National Assembly retreat themed “Securing Parliamentary Legacy,” where Cabinet Secretaries were invited to respond to questions from Members of Parliament on the performance of their ministries.
As he faced questions from MPs, Ogamba admitted that the government has never carried out a comprehensive study to determine the total cost of education for one learner across all levels.
“As a country, we don’t know how much it costs to educate a child from Grade One to university. No actuarial analysis has been done to know how much exactly,” Ogamba told MPs during his grilling.
The admission angered several lawmakers, who said it exposed serious weaknesses in planning and budgeting within the education sector.
Ugenya MP David Ochieng’ was particularly critical, questioning how the ministry decides on capitation for schools and funding for universities without knowing the actual cost of education.
He said the questions raised by Kathiani MP Robert Mbui were basic and fundamental.
“The question asked by Kathiani MP Robert Mbui is everything you would want to know about education and school fees, so the minister cannot tell us. He doesn’t know how much a kid costs to teach in this country,” Ochieng’ said.
He went on to question the basis used by the government to allocate money to learning institutions.
“So on what basis do they give capitation in primary, secondary, and on what basis are they giving school fees for universities?” he asked.
Ochieng’ further challenged the credibility of the ministry’s budgeting process, arguing that the responses given showed a lack of preparation and clarity.
“If the CS says he doesn’t know how much it costs to educate a child in Kenya, how does he budget for them then? And who does the minister expect to do that analysis?” he posed. He added, “The handling of the questions reeks of a lack of knowledge of what the minister is supposed to do.”
In his defence, Ogamba explained that the absence of such data was not new and had persisted for many years.
He said the education sector has continued to operate under pressure without a clear picture of actual costs. However, he acknowledged that the situation needed to change, especially given the financial challenges facing the country.
“This analysis has never been done. Nobody has done it, and it is something that as a country today, because of the challenges we have, we need to face and do so that we have a clear picture,” he said.
“We have an X number of students. We need to know how much money is allocated to each of those children,” he added.
As MPs reacted loudly to his answers, Deputy Speaker Glady Boss attempted to calm the House. She suggested that the admission, while troubling, could be used as a starting point for accountability and reform.
“The good thing is that the minister has said he doesn’t know. What we should be doing in the follow-up questions is giving him a timeline to present that before the committee,” she said, even as MPs responded with chants of “No.”
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula later stepped in to restore order. He urged Ogamba to seek help from his technical team, who were present during the session.
“Waziri, you have your technical team here. You are at liberty to ask them to assist you and give you the numbers so that you satisfy the House,” Wetang’ula said.
He then asked MPs to allow the session to continue, noting that there would be further opportunities to seek clarification.
“Please listen. Even if the answer falls short of your expectations, you have another round to ask questions,” he said.
