Tana River education stakeholders call for more funding for special schools

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOThursday May 28, 2026

Education leaders, special school representatives, parents, human rights activists and advocates for children with special needs in Tana River have warned that current funding levels for special schools are too low to meet the rising demands of learners living with disabilities.

Speaking at a forum held in a Garissa hotel, the stakeholders said special needs institutions are grappling with persistent problems rooted in underfunding.

They pointed to shortages of teachers, a lack of specialised learning materials, poor classroom conditions and inadequate boarding facilities for learners accommodated in school dormitories.

Millicent Ondiek, a parent of a child with special needs, said the government must now give special schools the priority they deserve by setting aside enough money to keep them running effectively.

“It is extremely concerning and worrying that the government has not given special needs education the seriousness it deserves, despite the fact that these learners face far more challenges compared to their counterparts,” she said.

Ondiek said many learners with disabilities need constant support if they are to benefit from learning.

“You will find situations where some learners do not even have hands or legs and need people to support them; people who literally do everything for them. Unfortunately, the government is not recruiting such support staff, something that has made learning for people with special needs extremely difficult,” she added.

Wanjiru Mbugua, a human rights activist and defender of children with special needs, called on the government to make a meaningful allocation in the national budget for special schools, saying many of the institutions are barely managing to stay afloat.

“The government needs to allocate more resources that will go a long way in supporting these institutions because, honestly, the majority of them are struggling,” she said.

Mbugua said the needs of children with disabilities must be addressed in a comprehensive way.

“When we talk about taking care of children with special needs, we must look at it holistically — from their classrooms and sports amenities to their dormitories for those in boarding schools,” she said.

“You find situations where their classrooms are in extremely dilapidated conditions. Their washrooms are the same. In some instances, their dormitories and sleeping areas leave a lot to be desired.”

She added that children with special needs deserve the same opportunities as other children and should not be denied a fair chance to succeed.

“These are children like any other and they also have ambitions and dreams of succeeding in life. In fact, many of them are very bright and all they need is support from relevant stakeholders, especially the government, to help them achieve their dreams,” she said.

Rashid James, another human rights activist and defender of children with special needs, questioned why allocations for special schools continue to shrink even as the institutions face mounting pressures.

“It is regrettable that the government keeps reducing the budgetary allocation for institutions that cater for children with special needs when it should be doing the opposite. We are all aware of the challenges they face and the support they require, which in most cases boils down to funding,” he said.

The stakeholders warned that insufficient funding has played a major role in the growing number of children with special needs leaving school before completing their education. They said urgent action is needed, warning that the gap in access to education for learners with disabilities will only deepen if the situation is left unchecked.