Kenya School Fees Increase Put On Hold As Education CS Julius Ogamba Cites Legal Process
Plans to increase secondary school fees have been halted after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba ruled that school principals cannot adjust fees without following the legal procedures set out under the Basic Education Act.
Remarks from the Education CS come weeks after secondary school heads proposed a review of the current fee structure, arguing that rising operational costs, delayed capitation and the demands of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum had made the existing funding model unsustainable.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for new education infrastructure at Kihate Comprehensive School in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County, Ogamba said any review of school fees must involve parents, school boards and the Ministry of Education before approval can be granted.
Current fee structures therefore remain in force until the prescribed legal process is completed and any changes are formally approved by the ministry.
Education CS Rejects Unprocedural School Fee Hikes
Boarding schools currently operate under an approved annual fee structure, and principals cannot increase the amount charged without obtaining government approval.
Ogamba emphasized that the law provides a clear framework for reviewing school fees, adding that no school has the authority to introduce higher charges independently.
“When a school wants to have a discussion about moving the fees from Sh53,000 that is allowed, and these are basically boarding schools, they normally have a discussion. There is a procedure that is applied under the Basic Education Act,” Ogamba said.
“They have to call the parents and they have to discuss. Once they agree there is a long process of approval and it has to come all the way to the Ministry of Education for that approval to be granted. So, the principals are not allowed to just increase fees at their own volition,” he added.
School heads, through the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), recently called for a review of school fees during their 49th annual conference in Mombasa.
Association members argued that the fee structure introduced in 2015 no longer reflects the actual cost of running schools.
Rising prices of food, electricity, learning materials and other operational expenses have placed increasing financial pressure on schools, while delayed government capitation has further strained institutional budgets.
Proposals presented by KESSHA recommended that students in national schools pay Sh87,781 annually after government capitation.
Extra-county and county boarding schools were proposed to charge Sh83,622 per learner each year.
Learners enrolled under the Free Day Secondary Education programme would pay Sh7,675 annually after government support if the proposals were eventually approved.
Ogamba acknowledged that schools face genuine financial challenges but maintained that any adjustment must comply with existing legislation.
Groundbreaking ceremony where the CS spoke marked the launch of infrastructure projects funded by the Safaricom Foundation at Kihate Comprehensive School.
Construction works include new classrooms, science laboratories, a modern kitchen and water storage facilities aimed at improving the learning environment. Completion of the project is expected before the beginning of next year.
Government Confirms Teacher Payments And TVET Growth
Beyond the school fees debate, Ogamba dismissed reports suggesting enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions is declining.
Government data, according to the CS, shows enrolment has grown significantly since 2022.
Student numbers in TVET institutions have increased from about 300,000 learners to approximately 1.1 million, with the government targeting two million enrolments over the next few years.
Expansion of technical education remains part of the government’s strategy to provide alternative career pathways for students who do not secure admission into universities.
“There is no enrollment that is going down. Yesterday we released the placement results for 293,869 students who have been placed to degree, diploma, craft certificate and artisan certificate across tertiary and higher education institutions. Last year the number was 185,000, this year the number is 293,000,” Ogamba said.
Government is also seeking to achieve a 100 percent transition rate between different levels of education through coordinated placement into universities, colleges and TVET institutions.
Students who missed the initial Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) application window have been granted another opportunity to apply.
Ogamba directed KUCCPS to reopen the application portal for one month to accommodate candidates who were unable to submit their applications during the initial placement exercise.
Students wishing to transfer between universities and colleges will also have a one-month window to apply for inter-institution transfers through KUCCPS.
Education sector stakeholders also received reassurance over delayed payments to teachers who marked the 2025 Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA).
Government has released Sh1.5 billion to settle pending payments owed to examiners after months of delays caused by budgetary constraints.
Teachers were advised to confirm receipt of the payments through their respective banks beginning Thursday.
“We did receive about Sh1.5 billion that was pending for the examiners of the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment and the payments to the examiners started yesterday and will be completed today. I want to thank them for being patient because it had taken a long time due to financial challenges,” Ogamba said.
Recruitment of an additional 24,000 teachers also remains on schedule, with the Ministry of Education expected to begin the hiring process later this month as part of ongoing efforts to address staffing shortages in public schools across the country.
Decision to suspend any immediate school fee increases is likely to offer temporary relief to parents already grappling with the high cost of living, even as schools continue to push for a review of funding to match rising operational expenses.
