Why schools, teachers and students could shape 2027

With millions of households connected to schools, colleges and universities, education is emerging as a potentially significant issue in the 2027 General Election, as voters confront questions over funding, the cost of learning, jobs and the quality of education.

The election comes at a time when the sector is facing uncertainty over funding, delayed disbursement of money to institutions and the cost of implementing key programmes under the Competency-Based Education system.

At the moment, none of the presidential hopefuls has laid out a detailed manifesto on what they intend to do with the education sector if elected.

Constitutional lawyer Ken Echesa argues that education could emerge as a cross-generational political issue, with teachers concerned about employment and working conditions, students focused on funding and employment prospects, and parents watching the overall cost of educating their children.

With about 400,000 teachers in the country, the teaching fraternity and their dependants represent a substantial constituency.

Kenya National Union of Teachers Nairobi branch secretary Macharia Mugwe argues that teachers could influence more than two million votes through their own choices and those of their families.

“We say teachers as other public servants are apolitical, but as citizens they have the right to vote and have direct influence to their spouses, children and sometimes extended family,” Mugwe said.

Stakeholders argue that issues around salaries, recruitment, promotions, working conditions and employment terms could influence how teachers vote.

But the education vote extends beyond the teaching fraternity. A study by University College London argues that the political awakening of Kenya’s younger generation, particularly following the Gen Z-led protests of 2024 and 2025, could also reshape how students participate in electoral politics.

The protests brought issues of accountability, economic pressure and representation to the centre of political debate, with research suggesting that youth participation has increasingly extended beyond traditional political structures.

This comes as a new report by the Commission for University Education shows there are about 700,000 students in universities.

At the same time, Ministry of Education data shows that more than one million students are enrolled in TVET institutions.

Teddy Odhiambo, a former Kenyatta University student leader, says this represents a large pool of potential voters in the next election.

“Majority of students in universities and colleges are of adult age and will be eligible to vote, previously they have not been turning up for the elections but this time things seem different,” Odhiambo said.

He argues that the political awakening of the younger generation, known as Gen Z, could contribute to increased participation by students in the next election.

Similarly, Michael Ngetich Soi, a former University of Nairobi student leader, says the financing of education and students’ quality of life could influence their political choices.

“Students are no longer looking at politics simply from the traditional point of view of who comes from where. There is a growing generation that is asking what government is doing for them, how public resources are being used and whether leaders are delivering on the promises they make,” he said.

Soi said the experience of students under the current higher education funding system could also become an important consideration as they make political choices.

“The student is looking at the cost of education, but also the cost of living. If the funding model increases the burden on the student or the family, that becomes a political issue because students are also voters,” he said.

But the education vote goes beyond teachers and students.

Parents, who ultimately shoulder much of the cost of keeping children in school, are also likely to pay close attention to education policies and how they affect household finances.

Issues such as school fees, extra levies, meals, transport, uniforms, textbooks and other costs could become important considerations, particularly for families struggling with the rising cost of living.

Silas Obuhatsa, the National Parents Association chairman, argues that continued demands for additional levies in some schools could influence parents’ choices at the ballot.

“The issue could become particularly significant for households with several children in school, where even relatively small additional charges can translate into a substantial financial burden,” Obuhatsa said.

At the same time, Jasper Omwenga, the Parents Association chairman in Nairobi County, said parents would be looking at whether government interventions such as Free Primary Education and Free Day Secondary Education are delivering the relief promised, or whether the cost of education continues to be transferred back to households.

The size of the school-going population also puts parents at the centre of the education debate, with Ministry of Education projections showing approximately 13.5 million learners currently in primary, Junior School and secondary schools.

The projections put the number of primary school learners at 6.39 million, Junior School learners at 3.62 million and secondary school learners at 3.48 million.

Each learner represents a household with a direct stake in the cost and quality of education, potentially giving parents a significant voice in how education policies are viewed at the ballot.

Echesa said the number of families with children in school means education policies could have a broad political impact, particularly where they affect school fees, extra levies, learning materials and other costs borne by parents.

He said parents were likely to pay attention to whether government interventions were translating into tangible relief for households, rather than relying solely on headline budget allocations.

President William Ruto has on different occasions highlighted the recruitment of about 100,000 teachers during his four years in office as one of the key achievements of his administration.

The Kenya Kwanza administration has also pointed to improvements in the disbursement of funds to schools, after years of complaints over delays that affected school operations.

The President has further promised to fully fund university students from January, a commitment that the administration could use to demonstrate progress in higher education financing.

The Government has also overseen the establishment and chartering of new university institutions, with some of the moves attracting political attention in different regions.

However, education stakeholders have continued to raise concerns over funding, particularly in universities and secondary schools.

The university funding model has undergone several changes since its introduction, with students and stakeholders raising concerns over the criteria used to determine the level of support each learner receives.

The changes have also been followed by concerns over uncertainty in funding, with reports of students struggling to meet the cost of university and college education, although the Government has disputed claims of widespread dropout linked to the funding model.

Public universities have meanwhile continued to face financial difficulties, with their combined debt rising from about Sh60 billion in 2022 to more than Sh100 billion, according to disclosures made to Parliament.

In secondary schools, concerns have also been raised over capitation for the Free Day Secondary Education programme.

Although the Government’s official capitation is Sh22,244 per learner, schools have in recent years received substantially less, with allocations reported at between Sh15,000 and Sh17,000.

School heads and education stakeholders have said the shortfall has affected schools’ ability to meet operational costs and settle suppliers’ bills.