Kuppet lauds state move to restore full capitation, slash varsity fees

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has lauded President William Ruto's bold interventions in the education sector, including restoring full capitation for Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) and slashing university fees.

The union also demanded more comprehensive reforms to address long-standing issues facing Kenya’s teachers, learners, and public education institutions.

In a statement released on August 3, Kuppet welcomed the President’s decision to maintain the FDSE capitation at Sh22,244 per student per year, overruling a unilateral reduction by the Finance Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to Sh16,900.

“This action reflects the President’s renewed willingness to listen to Kenyans and address the challenges they face. It is a clear sign that his government is responsive to the public mood and the voices of education stakeholders,” said Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori.

The union also commended the Head of State for reducing public university fees by between 15 and 40 per cent.

The union urged political leaders and citizens to support the government initiatives, describing them as critical steps toward reviving a struggling education sector.

Kuppet regretted that deep-rooted challenges still plague the education system and demanded urgent presidential intervention.

Among the union’s demands is immediate budgetary allocation to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for promoting more than 130,000 teachers who have stagnated in service for years.

“These teachers have been neglected for too long. Their morale is at an all-time low, and despite modest gains in the new CBA, no meaningful progress will be made unless this matter is addressed now,” said Misori.

Kuppet also called on the Finance Ministry to release the full capitation for the 2025 academic year without delay, warning that schools are grappling with serious financial constraints ahead of the third term opening this month.

Misori reminded the government of the President’s Labour Day pledge to hire 20,000 new teachers, citing a crippling national teacher shortage of 106,660, especially at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level.

“Studies show that JSS students are not receiving the instruction they need. It’s unacceptable, particularly when we have nearly 300,000 trained, unemployed teachers in the country, many of whom are doing menial jobs or seeking opportunities abroad,” he warned.

Kuppet also renewed demands to have the JSS domiciled in primary schools, many of which lack infrastructure, teachers, or an academic culture suited for adolescent learners.

“The government is now being forced to equip 23,000 primary schools from scratch. Yet billions of shillings had already been invested in constructing over 12,000 new classrooms, laboratories, and libraries in secondary schools. These facilities are idle. This is policy confusion that must be corrected,” said Misori.

The union proposed the phase-out of expensive boarding schools by 2030, arguing that learners should be supported to study in local day schools near their homes.

Kuppet is pushing for a national conversation aimed at abolishing all bursary and scholarship programmes in favour of making public education completely free across all levels.

“This patchwork of financial aid is unsustainable. It’s time to rethink education financing. Free public education is the only way to ensure equity, quality, and long-term development,” Misori argued.

The union also took a swipe at the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, describing its report as “misguided” and blaming it for many of the problems the sector is now grappling with including university fee hikes and the misplacement of JSS.

“That report undercut the role of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and left a trail of confusion. Only the President can now reverse the damage,” Misori said.