The paper examines the financing status of secondary education in Kenya and explores possible cost reduction and financing options in the long term. Educational needs for secondary education in Kenya are on the increase since the introduction of Free Primary Education in 2003. Financing of secondary education continues to be a challenge to the government, parents and communities at large. Identifying sustainable financing options that maximize on cost-effectiveness in resource utilization is therefore critical. The study utilized secondary data obtained from education trend statistics, the 2003 Kenya school census, and the Teachers Service Commission. The education simulation and financial projection tool provided the basis for projecting both growth in secondary enrollments, resource needs, and financial implications of various policy options. Some of the insights from the study show that expenditure on secondary education as a proportion of GDP and the total education public budget averaged 1.6% and 22%, respectively. Public financing is predominantly recurrent, while non-recurrent expenditures are estimated at 6%. High-income quintiles benefit more from public provision and financing of secondary education compared to the low-income quintiles. Feasible financing options would therefore include increasing secondary education revenue and fiscal allocation on non-salary expenditures. Cost reduction measures should target the expansion of quality day schools, efficiency utilization of teachers, and streamlined procurements. The paper provides research findings and makes objective projections with a view to informing researchers, education managers and policy makers.

No abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse factors that influence access to secondary education, and strategies for improving access to secondary education in Kenya.Design/methodology/approachA logit model estimated using the Welfare Monitoring Household Survey while a simulation model is used to evaluate some of the strategies for improving access to secondary school education.FindingsThe main determinants of access to secondary school education at household level include household's income, education level of household head, household residence, sex of child, availability of schools, and age of student.Research limitations/implicationsFactor such as property ownership by household and indirect costs to schooling not adequately captured due to non‐responses.Practical implicationsStrategies for expanding secondary school education include: expansion of infrastructure through strong partnerships, enhancing efficiency in use of human and financial resources, developing sustainable poverty reduction and resource targeting mechanisms, increasing household awareness on the importance of secondary school education, and addressing gender disparities.Originality/valueThe value of the paper is in its innovativeness to empirically estimate factors that determine access to secondary education and simulate resource requirements for secondary school education with the aim of identifying appropriate strategies for improving access.

We investigate the effect of institutions on the delivery of services funded by the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) in meeting constituents' needs in Kenya. Using household survey data collected by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) in 2006 from a sample of constituencies, we construct indices of voice and client power using principal component analysis. We then estimate ordered probit models regarding the rating of the performance of CDF funded projects in meeting the constituents’ needs. The estimation strategy we adopt controls for potential endogeneity of the institutional measures, potential sample selection-bias and potential unobserved heterogeneity. The results indicate that higher quality institutions are associated with better service delivery outcomes.