Although both primary and secondary education have been declared free by the Kenyan government, most public government-run schools in the Nairobi area still require students to pay school fees, purchase textbooks, and purchase school uniforms.  Private schools are even more expensive than public schools and many “free” schools in Kibera lack the resources to provide a proper education. 

1 million children in Kenya are not attending primary school, making it the country with the ninth highest number of primary school children out of school in the world.  Kenya is one of only 14 countries in the world with over one million children out of school. (Source: UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2013/14)

Only 60% of high school aged children in Kenya are enrolled in high school. While the abolition of secondary school fees reduced the costs for households, indirect costs are  still twelve to twenty times as much as the monthly income of some parents, leaving secondary school out of reach for the poorest households. (Source: UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2012)

 “The consequences of such low levels of education are grim for the young people… Many youth will be consigned to poorly paid, insecure and often risky work, and their countries will be deprived of the kind of skills that can drive economic growth.”     (Source: UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2012)

“Education empowers women to overcome discrimination. Girls and young women who are educated have greater awareness of their rights, and greater confidence and freedom to make decisions that affect their lives, improve their own and their children’s health and chances of survival, and boost their work prospects.” (Source: UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report, 2013)