Education is not a political trophy, says Dr Manyasa

In a candid interview, Dr Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director of Usawa Agenda, explores the state of education in Kenya, the challenges of funding, failed policy implementation, and what the future holds for millions of school children. Speaking to Mike Kihaki, the education expert, is concerned that the sector is being mismanaged from the top.

The Ministry of Education appears to have found money to pay for exam fees this year. What is your opinion regarding the U-turn?

Honestly, I don’t know where, but it would appear they (government) have the funds; maybe after public pressure. Traditionally, the government covered the exam registration fees for students in public schools. For the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, it’s about Sh5,400, while Kenya Primary School Education Assessment, the amount is around Sh700. These were costing many parents who couldn’t afford them. So, the government took it up to ensure no child is denied a chance to sit for national exams.

But then suddenly this year, they said they didn’t have the money. That jeopardizes the future of many learners. We have several critical exams lined up: Grade 7, Grade 9, KPSEA, and KCSE, all coming up between August and December. It’s a crisis.

Still on exams, what has been happening at the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) - examiners are not paid promptly after marking papers.

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I think that is why KNEC has been of the view that they should be allowed to collect exam fees from parents in a move that will enable the council to pay invigilators, and this they could explain the initial government position requiring parents to pay exam fees. 

From where you're seated, do we have a deficit of integrity in exam management since papers are printed in the UK?

We should be asking ourselves why, in this day and age, we need to go and print an exam in the UK, where billions are spent. We print our money in Kenya. Why are we printing exams outside the country?

In your view, was the education sector allocated enough funds in the national budget?

Yes, it was. The Treasury allocated Sh656 billion to education. The question is, where did that money go? We’re told schools are underfunded and capitation is delayed. Over the last five years, Sh64 billion in capitation has not reached schools. Even this year, schools are still owed Sh7,000 per student from Term One.

What could have informed the decision to slash capitation from Sh22,244 and Sh17,500?

The argument was that increased enrolment necessitated the cut, but the cost of living has risen, yet the money available continues to dwindle.

How are schools coping with the shortfall?

It’s chaotic. Some schools received as little as Sh87 while others received Sh4,000. I genuinely hope that’s a computer error. But that’s the reality school heads are facing. Meanwhile, they're expected to run learning activities smoothly. The financial and delivery gaps are staggering.

Those with high populations have devised different ways of finding extra funds, but smaller schools are struggling. Unfortunately, the lack of transparency in handling these issues makes it harder to find sustainable solutions.

You’ve raised concerns that we risk running into a crisis if the education sector is not handled properly. Do you still hold the same view?

In 2022, Usawa Agenda funded education as a major topic in the presidential debate. We warned that the incoming administration would face an education crisis, and we've been proven right. The crisis is here because we keep making major policy pronouncements without corresponding cost implementation plans. That’s the biggest problem.

We make politically convenient decisions, without planning how to fund or sustain them. Then we scramble when the consequences hit.

And it appears Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) is at the centre of this crisis. Was the new syllabus well thought out?

CBC was more thoughtfully developed than 8-4-4. It began with a proper needs assessment. But the mistake came in implementing it without a cost roadmap—year-by-year, what you need, how much it will cost, and where the funding will come from.

When then-CS Amina Mohamed asked for a delay to plan for implementation, she was removed. That shows you how expediency often wins over proper planning.

So, what exactly is the core problem in the education sector?

It’s leadership failing to think long-term. People make decisions based on what looks successful today, not what ensures success tomorrow. And that attitude is hurting the whole country. Education is unlike other sectors. If you mess up your health, people may die today. If you mess up education, the whole country pays for generations.

You will still have doctors and teachers, but what kind of professionals will they be if their education was sub-standard?

Do we lack competent people in the Ministry of Education?

Not at all. I’ve worked with many civil servants and I find them quite capable. The problem is systemic; we have sycophants who tell leaders what they want to hear, and wise voices are drowned out. We have the manual for how to fix the system—we just don’t follow it. We put the pieces together without putting in the battery and still expect the machine to run.

You have labelled Grade 9 learners as “guinea pigs.” What do you mean?

These are the learners who started CBC in Grade 3. They are now in Grade 9, and there’s still no clarity about their path to Grade 10. Their entire schooling experience is being used to test an underfunded, under-prepared system. They are the live experiment of CBC.

Some parents, including officials in the Ministry, have taken their children to private or international schools. Is that a sign of giving up on public education?

It is. And I understand them—parents want the best for their children. But it’s tragic because they are running away from a problem they are best placed to fix. The children in public schools are the majority. They are tomorrow’s leaders, and if we neglect their education, we will pay dearly as a nation.

So, how do we fix this - is it too late?

It’s not too late. We have a solid CBC framework. If we go back to that, follow each step, cost it properly, and fund it faithfully, we can still build a strong system. But we must stop being held hostage by selfish interests. We also need to ask better questions, like why we are still printing exams abroad at a high cost. Why can’t we make exams affordable and accessible?

Your final word to parents?

Prepare to pay exam fees from 2026. The government might cushion parents this year due to backlash, but long-term, it’s clear they’re shifting the burden back. But more importantly, I urge parents to engage. Don’t disengage from the public system. Push for accountability. Help us rebuild the system—not just for your child, but for the country’s future.

And to the government?

Stop short-termism. Education is not a political trophy; it’s a national foundation. If we ruin it, we’re destroying our future.