Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang on Tuesday appeared before the parliamentary committee on education to submit the financial year 2023/24 education budget expenditure and revenue as spelt under the Executive Order number one of 2023.
The committee seeks to review, implement and consider activities and projects within the education system such as Primary Education, Secondary Education, Quality Assurance and Standards as well as General Administration, Planning and Support services.
Addressing the committee in Nairobi, the PS said that in the proposed FY 2023/24 budget, a total of Ksh.135.480 billion is allocated with Ksh.115.773 billion in Recurrent and Development at Ksh.19.707 billion noting an increase in the recurrent budget of Ksh.9.089 billion from the previous FY 2022/23 of Ksh.106.684 billion.
“The main areas of focus in the current proposed budget akin to capitation of Junior School Learners is Ksh.5.887 billion, Free Day Secondary Education capitation of Ksh.964 million, Ksh.300 million to cater for Quality Assurance and Standards while Ksh.173 million would support the Co-curriculum activities as Ksh.444 million help in the recruitment of Quality Assurance and Standards Officers and supply of sanitary towels at Ksh.470 million,” disclosed Kipsang.
Kipsang stated that under the development budget the state department reduced a total of Ksh.8.912 billion in the Secondary Quality Improvement Project scheduled to end in the FY 2023/24, Whereas an additional Ksh.4.7 billion was allocated to implement the Kenya Primary Education Equity Learning Program citing an overall budget increase of Ksh.5.018 billion from Ksh.130.462 billion to Ksh.135.480 billion in FY 2022/23 and FY2023/24 respectively.
Concurrently, The PS voiced that the budget aims to align and implement the Bottom up Economic Transformative agenda through automation of education systems by adopting the National Education Management Information (NEMIS) as a means to manage education data. Adding that its adoption will lead to cost effectiveness, efficiency and seamless integration of all educational management data in the process enhance timeliness, quality and relevance of data in the country.
Kipsang noted that in supporting the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the Competence Based Assessment project, ICT networks would resolve to expand their database to accommodate it.
In regards to the agenda, the PS anchored that improving infrastructure of Junior Secondary School aims at providing better learning conditions and environment as well as increasing its enrollment across the country.
According to the report submitted 28 capital projects will be implemented out of which 21 projects are funded by the government to a tune of Ksh.7.768 billion, while Development Partners fund seven projects at Ksh.11.939 billion stating World Bank as the largest contributor with Ksh.10.589 billion.
The report outlined the key projects supported by the government as Primary School Infrastructure Improvement, Secondary School Infrastructure Projects and Improve teacher training colleges whereas development partners support the Kenya Primary Education Equity in learning project and the Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP).
By Phinta Amondi
