Over 2,000 Special Schools Risk Closure as Education Funding Crisis Escalates
More than 2,000 special schools across Kenya could be forced to shut down within two weeks due to delayed government capitation. The funding crisis has already disrupted learning in both primary and secondary institutions nationwide, raising alarms within the education sector.
The Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) and the Special Schools Association of Kenya (SHAC) expressed concern over the government’s recent decision to slash education funding.
They warned that the move could reverse the progress made in supporting learners with disabilities. KUSNET Secretary General James Torome reported that teachers and students with special needs were growing increasingly anxious over the financial delays.
Speaking after a consultative forum in Naivasha, Torome noted that the union had met with officials from the Ministry of Education and reached an agreement on the urgent need for capitation funds to be released. He emphasized that the funding should be dispatched promptly to avoid worsening the crisis.
According to Torome, the Sh62 billion budget cut to the Ministry of Education could destabilize the entire education system. He warned that the union would not stay silent while the government’s actions jeopardized the future of learners, saying the sector was on the brink of a full-blown crisis.
He urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to act swiftly and convene a meeting with unions to address the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is nearing expiration. He reminded stakeholders that the welfare of teachers, including hardship allowances, had already been negotiated and formalized in court.
Schools Struggle with Staff and Suppliers
KUSNET National Chairman Peter Sitienei highlighted delayed grants and capitation as the main obstacles confronting special schools. He expressed concern that many schools had been unable to pay non-teaching staff and suppliers, some of whom had ceased providing services. Sitienei remarked that the lack of operational funds had significantly hampered efforts to support learners with special needs.
Sitienei added that the situation had left many institutions on the edge, saying they were struggling to maintain even the most basic operations. He stated, “We have a very big challenge to address learners with special needs because we’ve not paid the salaries for the non-teaching staff and, of course, the suppliers.”
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Despite the challenges, Sitienei welcomed the government’s consideration of bursary support for special needs learners. The gesture was seen as a small but meaningful step toward easing the burden on schools and ensuring continued access to education for vulnerable students.
As the crisis deepens, education stakeholders continue to call for immediate intervention to safeguard the future of special needs learners and prevent the collapse of the institutions that support them.
Over 2,000 Special Schools Risk Closure as Education Funding Crisis Escalates
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