Members of Parliament have taken aim at Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba following his admission that the government does not know the total cost of educating a child in Kenya from Grade One to university. Ogamba made the revelation on Wednesday during a parliamentary sitting held at Lake Naivasha Resort in Nakuru County, on the sidelines of a National Assembly retreat themed “Securing Parliamentary Legacy.” His remarks quickly sparked heated reactions from lawmakers, who questioned how education funding decisions are made without such critical data. Appearing before MPs, the CS acknowledged that no comprehensive actuarial analysis has ever been conducted to establish the full cost of education across all levels.
As a country, we do not know how much it costs to educate a child from Grade One to university. No such analysis has been done to determine the exact figures
CS Ogamba The admission drew sharp criticism, led by Ugenya MP David Ochieng’, who challenged the ministry’s approach to setting capitation for primary and secondary schools, as well as funding for universities. Ochieng’ questioned how the government allocates education funds without a clear understanding of the real costs involved.
If the minister does not know how much it costs to educate a child, on what basis does the ministry determine capitation for primary and secondary schools, or funding for universities?
MP David Ochieng’The legislator further expressed concern over the credibility of the ministry’s budgeting process, arguing that the CS’s responses pointed to a lack of preparedness and clarity within the education sector.
If the CS admits he does not know the cost of educating a child, then how does he budget for them? And who is supposed to conduct this analysis?
Mp David Ochieng’In his defence, Ogamba said the absence of such data has been a long-standing issue and not unique to his tenure. However, he acknowledged that the situation needed urgent attention, especially given the increasing financial pressure facing the education sector. According to the CS, establishing the true cost of education would help determine whether government funding is sufficient and properly targeted.
This analysis has never been done, but it is something we must confront as a country. We need a clear picture so that we know how much is allocated to each learner
CS Ogamba As MPs reacted loudly to his responses, Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss attempted to cool tensions, suggesting that the admission could serve as a starting point for accountability.
The positive thing is that the minister has admitted he does not know. The next step should be to give him timelines to present this information to the committee
Gladys SholeiHer remarks were met with chants of “No” from sections of the House, forcing National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to step in.
Wetang’ula urged the CS to consult his technical team, who were present at the session, to provide more concrete information.
Waziri, your technical team is here. You are free to consult them and provide the figures required to satisfy the House
Moses WetangulaThe Speaker asked MPs to allow the session to continue, noting that they would still have an opportunity to seek further clarification during subsequent rounds of questioning.
