The 2022 Roots Party presidential running mate, Justina Wamae, has argued that the drop in school capitation has affected landowners as tenants are defaulting on rent.

In her X statement on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Wamae added that the decline in the free day secondary school cash allocation per student has negatively impacted livelihoods at the household level.

”The cash allocation per learner under Free Day Secondary Education has dropped to Ksh15,600 from the expected Ksh22,200, the lowest in seven years.

“This move has gone further to affect landlords’/ladies’ income, as tenants are delaying rent, citing that their rent money has been eaten up by school fees,” Wamae said.

Naivasha MP Jane Kihara had earlier raised concerns over school capitation.

Justina Wamae’s sentiments come at a moment when President William Ruto has directed the Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi and his Education counterpart Julius Ogamba to address challenges in the school capitation program.

Ruto calls for solution

“There is a problem in the capitation release. Most of the time, there is a delay. So I am instructing the Minister of Education to sit down with the Minister of Finance to align this,” Ruto directed after meeting teachers at the State House, Nairobi, on Saturday, September 13, 2025.

Before Saturday’s meeting, teachers had issued a warning to the government, threatening to shut down schools if the Ministry of Education failed to release capitation funds for the current school term. 

Speaking during the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Governing Council meeting on July 11, 2025, the union’s Secretary General, Akelo Misori, said that schools are under immense financial strain, with many institutions struggling to retain learners due to unpaid school fees. 

“Principals are really struggling to keep learners in school. They have waited for the government to release the capitation funds, but it is taking too long,” Misori said. 

“With the current economic hardships, most parents have not paid school fees. If nothing is done soon, it will be impossible to keep these schools running. The only viable option left may be to send students home,” he said. 

Meanwhile, at the heart of the conversation are two figures: Ksh 1,420 per pupil in primary school and Ksh 22,244 per student in secondary school,amounts that the Ministry of Education says are not being fully disbursed.