Education ministry warns head teachers against illegal school fees

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has warned head teachers against imposing illegal levies on parents and withholding the certificates of students with fee arrears.

Machogu noted that the ministry has prescribed the maximum allowable fees to charge at each level so schools must "strictly adhere to prevailing policies and guidelines regarding illegal levies."

"We have prohibited the collection of illegal levies from learners and their parents," he said, adding that Sh656 billion, nearly 30 per cent of the national budget, has been allocated to the education sector, with Sh9.1 billion for primary schools, Sh30.6 billion for junior secondary school capitation, and Sh61.8 billion for secondary schools.

"It is your statutory and moral duty to utilise these funds prudently and efficiently for the benefit of your institutions and learners," he said on Friday at Sheikh Zayed Primary School in Mombasa County during the 47th conference of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA).

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Machogu admitted to delays in disbursing funds to schools but blamed the National Treasury.

"This is largely caused by delays in receiving funds from the National Treasury. The ministry proactively follows up on the release of funds from the exchequer to ensure they are in your schools in good time. This will be a continuous effort on our part," he said.

Machogu addressed the matter following complaints by teachers about an economic situation that has forced them to increase fees to fully cover school expenses. They cited the high cost of food as a key factor straining their budgets.

It is a solemn occasion to convene together with our Headteachers from all Secondary Schools across the country here in Mombasa on the background of the unrest we have witnessed among the young people of our nation.

As we chart the way forward for the country, it is critical… pic.twitter.com/arb8uTh4WV

— Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir (@A_S_Nassir) June 28, 2024

Willy Kuria, KESSHA'S national chair, said a Sh27,000 budget per student was sustainable, not the Sh22,000 they have been receiving.

"Schools have a major financial crisis. Some children are not given capitation. The money we are getting is not enough to run the schools," Kuria said, adding that some institutions were operating on credit.

Abdi Noor, a headteacher from the Eastern region, said that most of the learning institutions there, especially boarding schools, were struggling to survive.

Regarding the withholding of KNEC certificates, Machogu said, "We have issued circulars capturing the legal position that Kenya National Examinations Council certificates are not to be withheld by schools for any reason, including non-payment of fees. I take this opportunity to reiterate these policy and legal requirements, and to urge you to enforce them strictly."

Some learners have been forced to postpone their enrollment in universities for lack of certificates.