By Billy Mijungu
Kenya can progressively build a fully funded public education system from Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) to university by redesigning how education is financed and how resources are distributed across the sector.
Kenya has more than 30,000 private schools across pre-primary, junior and senior levels, alongside more than 40,000 public institutions across various categories. The private education sector therefore represents a significant economic ecosystem and a substantial flow of household expenditure.
One option is to introduce a 50% Education Levy on the gross revenue generated by private education institutions, with the proceeds ring-fenced exclusively for financing public education. This should be complemented by consolidating existing education bursaries, grants and fragmented support programmes into a single, transparent national education financing framework.
The objective would not be to punish private schools. Private institutions would continue to operate and provide choice, but a defined share of the economic activity within the education sector would help finance universal access to quality public education.
For every amount spent on private education, the system should increasingly ensure that an equivalent investment is made in the public education system through the Education Levy and other dedicated education revenues.
The additional resources would finance classrooms, laboratories, libraries, sanitation, digital infrastructure, learning materials, teacher development, student welfare and other essential facilities. At university level, predictable public financing could reduce the burden on students and households while strengthening research, innovation and skills development.
However, funding alone is not enough. Kenya must standardise public education. Every public institution should work towards clearly defined national standards covering infrastructure, curriculum delivery, teacher establishment, learning materials, technology, sanitation, safety and student welfare.
The consolidation of bursaries and grants would also make funding more equitable. Resources should follow learners and institutions based on transparent criteria, including enrolment, need and regional disparities.
Over time, this model would allow the public sector to carry the majority of Kenyan learners while guaranteeing a consistent minimum standard of education regardless of where a child is born.
A properly designed education financing framework could therefore transform education from a household expense into a nationally guaranteed public investment—from early childhood to university.
