Nairobi, April 11 -- Schools for learners with special needs are grossly underfunded and cannot afford to hire enough caregivers as well as buy required assistive devices, affecting the quality of life and learning in the institutions.

Although special needs education (SNE) primary schools have a budgetary requirement of Sh1.328 billion they have only been allocated Sh455 million in the current budget. The administrations of the schools now say the institutions are operating in inhuman conditions and salaries for non-teaching staff have delayed.

SNE secondary schools have a requirement of Sh506 million but have been allocated Sh200 million which less than half of what they need.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu admitted that...