We are coming for you- Education Ministry tells School Principals charging extra fees

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba.

The Ministry of Education has issued a stern warning to secondary school principals who are charging extra fees.

In a statement on Thursday, January 9, 2025, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said that the ministry is concerned by the increase in the prohibited practice by a section of high school heads adding that the government will take action against principals defying the ministry orders on charging extra school fees.

Ogamba further directed parents to retain records of the amounts of fees paid in the previous academic year adding that the ministry has not made any changes to the secondary school fees structure.

“The Ministry of Education has noted with great concern a disturbing trend where some senior schools are reverting to the prohibited practice of charging levies. Let me state clearly that the government will not condone this practice and the government will take stern action against school administrators who are found to be levying extra charges on parents. I must emphasize that the fees charged in our secondary schools remain the same as was the case in 2024,” CS Ogamba said.

School fees guidelines

In 2024, the Ministry of Education issued several guidelines on school fees, including free tuition in public schools under basic education which states that public schools cannot charge tuition fees for learners and capitation.

The government has maintained the capitation at Ksh17,000 per learner per year.

In the Gazette Notice No. 1555 which was issued in March 2015, the government prohibited the practice of charging extra school fees in Kenya. The notice instructed all secondary school heads to adhere strictly to the authorised fee structure, further directing that approved amounts be divided into 50%, 30%, and 20% portions for the first, second, and third terms, respectively