Journal of Education and Development; Vol. 2, No. 3; December, 2018 ISSN 2529-7996 E-ISSN 2591-7250 Published by July Press 13 Influence of Selected Institutional Factors on the Impact of Constituency Development Fund in Financing Education in Public Secondary Schools in Ndaragwa Constituency, Kenya Joseph Gicheru Ndei 1 , John Kanjogu Kiumi 1 & Peter Githae Kaboro 1 1 Department of Curriculum and Education Management, Laikipia University, Kenya Correspondence: Peter Githae Kaboro, Department of Curriculum and Education Management, Laikipia University, Kenya. Received: September 19, 2018 Accepted: October 26, 2018 Online Published: November 6, 2018 doi:10.20849/jed.v2i3.502 URL: https://doi.org/10.20849/jed.v2i3.502 Abstract Access to secondary education in public secondary schools in Kenya has not been fully achieved due to rising costs in education. The Kenya government has therefore devised policies to help address issues of education access and retention through establishment of cost subsidies. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was established in 2003 through an Act of Parliament. The main objective was to mitigate the imbalance in regional development and provide people at the grassroots an opportunity to make expenditure choices that maximize their welfare in line with their needs and preferences. A key focus of CDF was to provide a devolved system of financing education. However, the extent to which CDF has succeeded in achieving this noble aim has not been evaluated. The focus of this study therefore was to find out the extent to which CDF as a means of financing education has succeeded in improving physical facilities, enhancing enrolment and reducing dropout rates in secondary schools in Ndaragwa Constituency, Kenya and to determine whether the impact is related to school type, enrolment, age and sponsorship. The study adopted an Ex-post facto research design where data were collected using self-administered questionnaires to 25 principals. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Hypotheses were tested using ANOVA and t-test at an alpha level of 0.05. The study established that there is no significant relationship between the impact of CDF in financing education and school type, enrolment, age and sponsorship. Based on the findings, the study recommends that CDF framework should be revised in order to assist schools to address pertinent issues facing them and to improve the quality of education in all secondary schools in Kenya. Keywords: Constituency Development Fund (CDF), enrolment, financing education, school age, school sponsorship 1. Introduction Education plays an important role in the entire development process of a country. Olaniyan and Okemakunde (2008) observed it is the human resource of a nation and not its material resources that ultimately determine the character and pace of economic and social development. Education is considered to be critical in the promotion of social, economic and political development. According to UNESCO (2002), education outcomes extend beyond individual and national income: it is a force that develops well-rounded and engaged citizens and builds more cohesive societies. In this regard it can be argued that increase in education will directly accelerate technological and hence economic progress of any nation. According to Kenya’s National Report on the Development of Education of 2008, the main objective of the government of Kenya since independence in 1963 has been to provide quality education and training for all its citizens. However despite the immense benefits of education, Chiuri and Kiumi (2005) noted that it is an expensive venture. It therefore cannot be left either to individuals or the government alone to shoulder the full financial burden, but must be a shared venture of individuals, private and public companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as the government itself. Ever since the introduction of formal education in Kenya, various strategies have been initiated for financing it. According to Mutua (2009), public financing of education in Kenya started in 1909. Following the recommendations of Professor J. Nelson Fraser, experimental financial grants were made to mission schools.