Khalwale warns Mbadi against tampering with free education policy
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has slammed National Treasury and Economic Planning of Kenya Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi over remarks suggesting that the government may no longer sustain free primary and day secondary education due to budget constraints.
Speaking during an event in Lugari constituency on July 27, 2025, Khalwale cautioned Mbadi against any move to reintroduce school fees, accusing him of pushing a policy that he says contradicts both the Constitution and the Kenya Kwanza administration’s manifesto.
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“According to the Kenyan budget and our Constitution, education is supposed to be free,” Khalwale said.
Taking a jab at the ODM party’s loss in the 2022 general election, Khalwale questioned the motives behind such a proposal.
“I want to repeat today — Finance Minister John Mbadi, listen carefully. If Raila Odinga has sent you to come and tell Kenyans that they’ll start paying school fees, where are you getting that arrogance from?” he posed.
He rebuked the Treasury CS, reminding him that the Kenya Kwanza coalition won the 2022 elections with a manifesto that did not include plans to charge school fees.
“We fought, and Ruto won the election. After that, we had a manifesto — and that manifesto never said that children should pay school fees,” he stated. Mbadi, you are part of the team we defeated. If your plan was to introduce school fees, do it when you win. But for now, education will remain free,” he rebuked.
Mbadi’s statement
Khalwale’s remarks were in response to Mbadi’s admission before Parliament on July 24, 2025, that the government lacks the capacity to fully finance free education, citing inadequate resources and rising debt obligations.
While he said the Treasury has disbursed funds for Term One and Term Two, he revealed that the actual capitation per student has consistently fallen short of requirements, with secondary schools receiving Ksh16,900 for the last seven years against a Ksh22,244 target.
“The truth of the matter is, we don’t have the capacity to finance Free Primary Education and Free Day Secondary Education. Let us not live a lie — the budget we approve cannot provide the Ksh22,244 required per learner. This is not possible,” Mbadi told MPs on the Education Committee.
Mbadi, who appeared alongside Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba, also disclosed that the government may soon be unable to cover examination fees and warned of impending cost-cutting measures in universities, including layoffs and the closure of satellite campuses.
“The thing is, we have been underfunding the education sector. The government is failing to do this because of other competing needs, such as the debt repayments, which we have been making as they are too high compared to before,” he added.
Mbadi’s defence
In response to public uproar and parental concern over his statement, Mbadi insisted on July 27, 2025, that his comments had been misunderstood and misreported.
He claimed that his message was directed at policymakers and members of Parliament, urging them to increase the capitation budget to fully support the government’s free basic education policy.
“I was speaking to policymakers; I was speaking to members of parliament who approve the budget, and I told them we must enhance the budget for capitation so that every child receives Ksh22,000. What we have in the budget today is less than Ksh22,000,” Mbadi explained.
“If you want me to lie to Kenyans, I am not ready to lie to Kenyans. We must budget so that every child is supported as the policy says,” he added.
