Ruto: No child should stay home over school fees

No child should stay at home because of lack of school fees because the government has set aside enough funds to ensure learners report to school, President William Ruto has said.

He said education remains a priority for his administration and all children must attend school regardless of their family circumstances.

 “I am directing that no child should stay at home because of school fees. Every child must go to school because we have set funds aside to educate our children,” Ruto said.

“There is sufficient money for teachers and for our children to be taught in the first term.”

He spoke during the launch of Nyota programme in Meru.

The President said all students should report to school with or without school fees.

“Every child, whether they have school fees or not, whether they have uniforms or not, should go to school. Education is important and we want every Kenyan child to have the opportunity to learn,” Ruto said.

He said the government has hired 100,000 teachers in recent years to strengthen staffing in public schools and support learning.

Ruto also said the education budget has been increased to Sh700 billion this year as part of efforts to expand access.

He added that the government has built 23,000 new classrooms in the last three years to ensure all children learn in a conducive environment.

The President further highlighted reforms in higher education funding, saying the new model, which includes increased Helb allocations, scholarships and loans, is designed to ensure students from all backgrounds can pursue further studies.

The 2025-26 national budget allocated about Sh702.7 billion, about 28 per cent of the total national budget, to the education sector.

This includes funds for teacher recruitment, free primary and secondary education, capitation, examinations and Tvet investments and increased funding to the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb).

The allocations include free primary education (Sh7 billion), free day secondary education (Sh51.9 billion) and junior secondary capitation (Sh28.9 billion).

The budget also plans Sh41.5 billion for Helb loans and support, up from previous years, aiming to ease access to higher education funding.

This large allocation underscores the government’s public stance that education remains a priority and that adequate funding should ensure programmes like free basic education and teacher recruitment continue.

Additionally, ahead of the first term of 2026, the government released Sh44.1 billion in school capitation funds to public schools to support learners at the start of the academic year.

Partners welcomed this as crucial for uninterrupted learning.

The capitation releases, increased budget for education and expanded teacher workforce are part of this broader commitment to ensure that schools are open, staffed and resourced for all children to learn.