President William Ruto has affirmed that free primary and secondary education will remain non-negotiable in Kenya, despite ongoing budgetary strains and reduced capitation to public schools. His remarks address concerns from school heads over significant cuts in funding.

• Most important fact or figure from the article: Per-student capitation in secondary schools was reduced from Sh22,244 to Sh17,000 in the current fiscal year.
• Key person or organization involved: National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi stated that the Treasury has never fully met the Sh22,000 per-student target and blamed Parliament for under-funding by approving inadequate budgets.
• Notable detail that adds context: The government has employed 76,000 new teachers since 2022 and plans to hire an additional 24,000 by January 2026.