ABSTRACT 

Our focus is on the global economic recession  that is threatening to deal a major blow to the  African  continent,  already  reeling under poverty  and  disease. While Western  governments  are  preparing packages  to  bail  out  distressed  companies in their home countries,  the state of affairs in Africa is rather gloomy as the  continent relies heavily on foreign aid. A recession can only worsen  the situation for the already burdened continent hence the  need for continued support from  Western  countries  through  the  United  Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions. The G-20 summit recently allocated US$19  billion from the US$250 billion  'Special Drawing Rights' to  the poorest,  least developing countries. This aid will surely go a long  way in alleviating  the  impact of the  global  economic recession on Africa. Kenyans cannot afford to complacent about it, thus  their arise an immediate need  to conduct an investigation on the  issue of academic performance on the  influx of pupils. The study  adopted a  descriptive  research  design.  This  enhanced the  researcher to obtain  a  better understanding of the  impact of free primary education on academic performance of pupils. The method chosen allowed a collection of comprehensive and intensive data and provided an in-depth understanding of the topic under study. Information  collected  was analyzed  and  edited to create  consistency  and completeness.  After collecting the  questionnaires they were  edited for completeness  and consistency across the respondents and to locate omissions. Information obtained from the research study was presented and analyzed using bar charts,  narratives,  and statistical figures. 

This report provides suggestions for more effective practice in the  implementation of free primary  education in face of the  looming global recession.  It is designed for policy makers,  planners and stakeholders who  have responsibilities in the  education sector in the country.