Secondary school heads have proposed an increase in school fees and capitation funding, citing rising inflation, rising operational costs, the growing demands of Competency-Based Education (CBE), and persistent delays in government funding, which they say have left many institutions struggling to stay afloat.
The proposals, contained in a memorandum presented to Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa during the 49th KCB/KESSHA Annual Conference in Mombasa, seek a review of the current school fees structure that was introduced in 2015 and has remained unchanged for more than a decade despite a sharp increase in the cost of goods and services.
If adopted, parents would pay more to educate their children in public senior schools. The document proposes that learners in national schools pay Sh87,781 annually after government capitation, while those in extra-county and county boarding schools pay Sh83,622. Day schools, which currently do not charge fees under the Free Day Secondary Education programme, would charge Sh7,675 per learner annually after government support.
According to the association, the current funding model is no longer sustainable as schools continue to grapple with rising prices of food, utilities, learning materials, transport, staff salaries and infrastructure maintenance.
The school heads said the Sh22,244 government capitation per learner, last reviewed in 2018, no longer reflects current economic realities.
KESSHA said schools received an average of Sh10,636.92 for operations between 2020 and 2025, almost similar to the Sh10,625 allocated in 2008.
The association added that schools were owed Sh22.5 billion in 2025 after receiving only Sh15,383 per learner instead of the expected Sh22,244.
In 2026, schools received only 35 per cent of the first-term allocation and 21.8 per cent of the second-term allocation, leaving a funding gap.
KESSHA National Chairman Willy Kuria said the current fee structure no longer reflects the actual cost of running schools.
“The current fees charged in secondary schools were set in 2015, about 11 years ago. It is, therefore, no longer possible to sustainably run our institutions under the existing framework,” Kuria said.
He noted that the fee structure has remained unchanged despite sharp increases in the cost of essential goods and services.
“The movement in the price index of goods and services between 2015 and 2026 reflects a substantial increase in the general cost of living and, by extension, the cost of running educational institutions,” he said.
KESSHA’s analysis showed that prices of commonly used school goods and services increased by an average of 65.3 per cent between 2015 and 2026. The association cited examples, including photocopy paper, which rose from Sh420 per ream in 2015 to about Sh800 in 2026, while the cost of food items, fuel, electricity, salaries and construction materials also recorded major increases.
The association also cited the depreciation of the Kenyan shilling against the US dollar from Sh90.5 in 2015 to Sh130.29 in 2026, representing a 43 per cent increase.
In addition, KESSHA noted that Kenya’s national budget had increased from Sh2.246 trillion in the 2015/2016 financial year to Sh4.82 trillion in the 2026/2027 financial year, representing a 115 per cent increase over the period.
“These perspectives provide a rational and evidence-based framework to support a comprehensive review and upward adjustment of the current school fees structure,” Kuria said.
The school heads based their proposal on a unit-cost formula that calculates the actual cost of maintaining a learner each day, including tuition, accommodation, meals, learning materials and operational expenses.
Their calculations show that the actual annual cost of educating a learner in a national school has risen to Sh110,025. After deducting government capitation of Sh22,244, parents would pay Sh87,781.
For extra-county and county boarding schools, the annual cost per learner was estimated at Sh105,866, leaving parents to contribute Sh83,622 after capitation.
For day schools, the annual cost of educating a learner was projected at Sh29,919, leaving a parent contribution of Sh7,675.
Food remains the largest expenditure item in boarding schools. KESSHA estimated that it now costs about Sh242.10 per learner per day to provide breakfast, 10 o’clock tea, lunch and supper. The annual boarding cost per learner was estimated at Sh61,009 compared to the current allocation of Sh30,385.
According to the association, boarding expenditure includes foodstuffs, boarding equipment, kitchen equipment, cutlery, firewood, cooking gas, cleaning materials and disinfectants.
Increased expenditure
The memorandum also detailed increased spending on repairs and maintenance, transport, administration, electricity, water, conservancy, co-curricular activities, medical services and non-teaching staff salaries.
School heads said institutions continue to face staffing shortages, forcing them to hire Board of Management teachers and casual workers.
They also pointed to rising costs associated with gratuity payments, annual salary increments, NSSF contributions, affordable housing levy payments and other employee benefits.
The association further raised concerns over the implementation of CBE, saying the curriculum has expanded the number of specialised learning areas and increased the cost of education.
Many schools now offer additional examinable subjects including music and dance, French, fine art, sports and recreation, electricity, aviation, home science, building and construction, theatre and film, marine and fisheries, and media technology.
“For schools to sustain and effectively teach these subjects, additional resources are required,” Kuria said.
He noted that many institutions lack the equipment and facilities needed to effectively deliver technical and applied subjects.
“Old-model computers are no longer suitable for current learning requirements,” Kuria said.
KESSHA also argued that allocations for laboratory equipment and chemicals remain inadequate for practical lessons and national examinations.
Although the government continues to fund classroom and laboratory construction through Transition Infrastructure Grants, the association said schools receive no funding to equip the facilities.
“No grants are provided for desks, chairs, laboratory stools, equipment, chemicals and other essential furniture needed to make these facilities operational,” Kuria said.
The association emphasised that school levies and capitation must be reviewed and aligned with current economic realities to ensure the sustainability of secondary education and support the effective implementation of CBE.
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