Influence of Alumni Funding Initiatives on Provision of Physical Infrastructure in Public Secondary Schools in Murang’a County, Kenya

Abstract

Government investment and leadership provide long-term solutions to the significant challenges facing society. However, in the past two to three decades, it has become evident that private participation can leverage market mechanisms to improve access to education. Development partners play a crucial role in addressing physical infrastructure needs by offering innovative financing and technical solutions for school projects. Despite the efforts of both the government and development partners, schools still face a shortage of adequate infrastructure. In Kenya, it is evident that funding initiatives from both the government and development partners have not fully addressed these challenges. After introducing a 100 percent transition rate, Murang'a County (the year 2023) reported a 107.66 percent transition rate, which pressured the already existing infrastructure. This study assessed the influence of alumni funding initiatives on the provision of physical infrastructure in public secondary schools. Specifically, it examined the funding practices of the alumni associations. Using a descriptive survey research design, the study focused on summarizing and describing key features of the data set. The target population included 310 school principals, 3,720 teachers, and 8 sub-county directors of education. Data was collected through questionnaires, observations, and interviews, with stratified sampling ensuring representation across different types of public secondary schools. Principals and teachers were the main respondents. The analysis, based on descriptive statistics, revealed that alumni funding was less effective in providing infrastructure than other models. Alumni funding, however, was found to have a limited impact, with 84.8 percent of respondents disagreeing that alumni contributed significantly to infrastructure development and only 15.6 percent agreeing. Overall, the study found a positive correlation between funding from alumni and the provision of physical infrastructure in public secondary schools in Murang'a County. It is, therefore, strategic for secondary schools to establish and maintain good relations with alumni by inviting them to make decisions, build networks, and develop infrastructure as an overall advancement of any public school.