By SHABAN MAKOKHA
April 28, 2026| As schools reopen for the second term, Muslim leaders have issued a stern warning to the government over a looming catastrophe in the education sector, fueled by a worsening funding crisis that is crippling learning across the country.
Speaking in Mumias, Ismail Muchelule, Chairman of the Mumias Muslim Community, urged the government to urgently increase financial allocations to learning institutions to avert a total collapse of essential programmes.
“Schools are bleeding. Children are returning to institutions that cannot feed them, provide learning materials, or complete projects,” Muchelule said, calling on the government to step in “before this crisis destroys the future of our children.”
Kenya’s education sector is battling an unprecedented Sh117 billion cumulative underfunding gap projected between 2021 and 2025 for basic education alone. This shortfall has left schools struggling to meet even the most basic operational needs.
Institutions are receiving only 78 percent of the approved capitation, pushing them into debt and stalling infrastructure projects nationwide. By April 2026, schools had received an average of Sh17,339 per learner—far below the required Sh22,244. The 2025/26 budget recorded a Sh48.3 billion shortfall for basic education, with junior and senior secondary schools bearing the heaviest burden.
Beyond basic education, the crisis runs even deeper. Universities face a Sh260 billion deficit for the 2026/27 financial year, threatening the sustainability of the new funding model and raising fears of programme shutdowns.
Muslim leaders are now calling for an urgent national conversation on education financing, insisting that no meaningful learning can occur under starvation-level funding.
According to education analyst Joel Olwenyi, the financial strain is having devastating effects on school operations. Projects are delayed as institutions lack capital to complete classrooms, laboratories, and sanitation blocks. “There are severe shortages of learning materials, from textbooks to lab equipment. School feeding programmes have been crippled, leaving vulnerable learners at risk of dropping out amid rising CBC implementation costs that have pushed schools to the edge,” Olwenyi said.
Recent audits show that over one million learners missed capitation payments, with funds diverted to “ghost schools”—a shocking administrative failure. The funding drought has left head teachers pleading with parents for additional levies, despite government warnings, as they struggle to keep schools running.
“If we fail to fund education, we are failing the children of Kenya,” Olwenyi added. “The crisis is now beyond politics—it is about the future of an entire generation.”
Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) commit the country to inclusive, equitable, and quality learning for all children. However, current realities paint a starkly different picture.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of Answaar Madrasa (Answaar Islamic School) in Mumias, Muchelule noted that despite impressive enrolment numbers—thanks partly to free primary and subsidised secondary education—the quality of learning is deteriorating. A 2023 report by Usawa Agenda revealed that most learners progress through school without mastering basic literacy and numeracy skills, signaling a large-scale learning crisis.
“Thousands of children in public schools attend overcrowded classrooms, share books in ratios as high as 1:10, learn in dilapidated structures—some even under trees—and have limited access to digital learning or science equipment,” Muchelule observed. “Simply put, the system is no longer delivering the promise of quality education.”
While the funding crisis affects learning in public schools, Sheikh Abdulkadir Jilo, head teacher of Answaar Madrasa, decried the lack of interest among local communities around Mumias in sending their children to study religion. He said that out of 270 children at the madrasa, only 70 come from surrounding communities. He called on Muslim parents to embrace both secular and religious education for their children.
“A child who attains religious and secular knowledge qualifies to serve in government and religious institutions,” said Jilo. “These are the types of scholars who qualify to become Kadhis in the judicial system.”
Kenya’s education system now stands at a dangerous crossroads. Without bold action, the country risks undoing decades of progress in literacy, human capital growth, and national development.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, represented by former Member of the County Assembly Suleiman Odanga, appreciated the cordial relationship between his administration and the Muslim community. He highlighted the importance of religious education, saying that children who receive it grow into responsible citizens who “cannot be misused by politicians.”
“Children who grow up guided by religion are always upright and responsible. They can shape the future of our nation,” Barasa noted.
Muchelule now wants the Treasury and the Ministry of Education to clear outstanding capitation arrears, review and increase per-learner funding, and ring-fence funds for CBC implementation.