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Kenya's 2026/27 budget allocates Sh784.5 billion to education, making it one its largest beneficiaries. This reflects a long-standing national conviction that education is both a public good and a pathway to social mobility.
Yet an uncomfortable question remains largely absent from public debate: What responsibility does the government bear for the economic fate of the graduates whose education it finances?
The discussion on unemployment is often framed incorrectly. We are told that a government cannot create jobs for everyone and therefore cannot be held accountable for graduate unemployment. While technically correct, this argument misses the central issue.
The question is not whether the government should employ every graduate. The question is whether government can continue exercising extensive control over education while disclaiming responsibility for its outcomes.
