Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has downplayed threats of budget gaps for the 2025 national exams, terming it an unintended omission.
Concerns and confusion marred the public after reports revealed that national exams, including the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), might be interrupted following a Ksh62 billion shortfall in the education sector.
Besides KCSE, other examinations affected by the lack of funding include the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KEPSEA) and Junior Secondary School (JSS) examinations.
Members of the National Assembly raised the alarm over the lack of budget allocation for examination preparation and invigilation in the 2025/26 national budget.
Appearing before the Departmental Committee on Education and Research on Tuesday, 13 May, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Basic Education, Julius Bitok, struggled to explain why no funds had been allocated for the national exams after concerns arose that parents might be forced to chip in.
However, speaking in Meru County on Friday, Migos assured parents that they will not have to pay for the exams, assuring that the Ministry is already in talks with the Treasury to secure the funds.
Ogamba maintained that the government is committed to ensuring that all learners, regardless of level, will sit for the exams and will not be disadvantaged.
''Parents are not going to be required to pay examination fees. That issue was an unintended omission, and it is being attended to, to ensure that the money is returned,'' the CS assured.
The budget cuts have impacted several critical areas, including quality assurance, which received no allocation; junior school capitation, facing a Ksh14.7 billion shortfall; and the Free Primary Education programme, which has a deficit of Ksh1.2 billion.
Despite these financial challenges, the CS reassured parents that the government is actively addressing the issue.
"Budget constraints are common in the sector, but we always secure the necessary resources to ensure examinations proceed as planned. Parents need not worry, we are handling it," he affirmed.
However, the cuts have sparked sharp criticism from stakeholders, who warn that they could derail key reforms in the education sector.
