The government plans to expand the school meals program to poor students nationwide to keep students in school.

About 2.6 million students from urban slums and Arid and Semi-Arid Areas are undernourished and at risk of dropping out.

The government intends to spend Sh74 billion to upgrade schools and colleges by June 2025.

The Ministry of Education will improve and broaden access at all levels in a comprehensive one-year plan.

The billions will have a significant impact on funding both technical vocational education and training and basic education.

The Ministry of Education projects that it will provide Sh9.1 billion in capitation to the 6.4 million pupils enrolled in public primary schools (grades One through Six ) over the course of the next year. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos will also disburse Sh59.8 billion to all 3,244,000 secondary students.

The government plans to expand the school meals program to poor students nationwide to keep students in school.

About 2.6 million students from urban slums and Arid and Semi-Arid Areas are undernourished and at risk of dropping out.

Currently, 2.6 million benefit from the program, a 342,037 increase from the 2,257,963 who enrolled in 2022. “The ministry commits to release capitation grants within seven days of the exchequer to 12,601,117 learners and 265,845 trainees in the 2024/25 fiscal year,” Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said.

This aspect of the ministry’s commitment will be fulfilled through President William Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda

The performance negotiations are being led by Eliud Owalo, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Performance and Delivery Management, and Mercy Wanjau, Secretary to the Cabinet.

They have met with all state departments and ministries to agree on docket targets. Owalo told the Star that the commitments will help evaluate the ministries and state departments at the end of the fiscal year.

“The performance contract will be the basis of the formal performance appraisal process as of June 30th, 2025,” Owalo said. Technical Vocations and Training Education institutions will receive Sh5.2 billion in funding, according to the ministry’s projections.

There are currently 265,845 trainees in Tvets. Additionally, the ministry plans to award top-up grants totalling Sh455 million to integrated and special education schools in the same year.

“To improve equity and inclusivity, we will increase enrolment of learners with special needs and disabilities in primary schools and junior schools,” he said.