As term one of the 2026 academic year draws to a close, the government has pledged to disburse capitation funds for term two ahead of the school reopening date of April 27.

Basic Education PS Julius Bitok said the move is part of the Ministry’s continued effort to stabilise school financing and ease the burden on parents under the Free Day Education programme which covers Free Primary, Free Day Junior Secondary and Free Day Secondary Education.

“I want to say that even as we speak right now, the government has requested for capitation for next term. And we are working very hard to ensure that before 27th of April, all our schools will have received their money before they open for next time,” PS Bitok said during an education forum in Makueni on Tuesday, March 31.

The funds, part of roughly KSh44.25 billion disbursed on January 2, included KSh4,193.07 per learner in junior secondary schools, along with basic institutional grants, to support teaching, learning materials, administration, infrastructure and co‑curricular activities.

The drive for prompt funding comes against a backdrop of historical challenges. In previous academic years, delayed capitation disbursements sparked complaints from school heads and teachers’ unions who warned that late funds disrupted operations, undermined teaching quality and forced some institutions to borrow or impose informal fees on parents.