Gov't to release capitation to schools this week, says PS Bitok
Education
By
Mike Kihaki
| Aug 25, 2025
The government will disburse Sh 23 billion in capitation funds to 45,000 schools across the country by the end of this week, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has announced.
The release of the capitation is expected to ease these concerns and ensure learning continues without major disruption.
Speaking during the commencement of the 2025 Fellow Summit in Nairobi, Bitok assured parents, teachers, and learners that the Treasury had prioritized school funding to ease operations as institutions reopen for third term.
“We have already engaged the National Treasury and we are expecting that before the end of the week, money for capitation will have been sent to our schools,” Bitok said.
“We had a meeting last week with Treasury officials, led by the minister himself, and we agreed that the top priority for the government of Kenya this week is to release capitation to our 45,000 schools.”
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The announcement comes at a time when schools are grappling with financial strain ahead of reopening.
Principals across the country have been sending stern reminders to parents to clear fees, warning that learners would be sent home if they reported with arrears.
“You are required to pay full third-term fees together with any arrears. We will send your child back if they report with balances,” read a circular from Muhudu Secondary School.
At Malava High School, parents received messages asking them to clear fees as a condition for admission back to school.
“Dear parent/guardian, school opens on August 27. Kindly clear fees to avoid sending your son back. Provide a ream of photocopying paper and remedial charges for your child,” stated the message.
For many families, reopening in the middle of the month has presented fresh challenges. “Most of us have not yet received salaries to cover transport and fees. It seems we will not manage to send learners back to school on time,” lamented Jane Wambui, a parent at Maryhill Girls.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Willy Kuria warned that most schools were reopening with “empty coffers.”
“We are opening schools with empty coffers. We are going into examination season, where we need to procure chemicals for practical subjects as well as keep schools running. We want the government to release capitation before schools reopen this week,” Kuria said.
The PS emphasized that the government had made the necessary exchequer requests and that schools should receive the funds “in the next few days.”
He also urged school heads to fully embrace the new curriculum, noting that government support would be sustained to ensure smooth implementation.
"I want to assure the country that we are putting measures, we have made the exchequer requests, and we expect that in the next few days, money will be in our schools.," Bitok said.