Why Secondary School parents are staring at increased school fees in 2025.

In summary: Secondary School parents staring at increased school fees in 2025.

Secondary School parents staring at increased school fees in 2025 due to the government’s inability to release free school funds in time. Ahead of Schools’ reopening on Monday, the Government is yet to wire the funds to Schools’ accounts.

The Ministry of Education has only given a promise that the funds could hit schools’ accounts but remained noncommittal on the exact dates.

“The Ministry will disburse Kshs. 48,379,800,028.32, being 50 percent of the capitation due to schools this Academic Year.” The Ministry of Education said on Saturday.

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According to the breakdown from the Ministry, Sh.4.1 billion will go to primary schools and Sh15.1 billion has been allocated to free day junior secondary and Sh28.9 billion to free day secondary schools.

School heads are feeling the cash crunch heat already. This is after the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, and Hospital Workers (KUDHEIHA) expressed worry that if the government does not release capitation funds before the reopening date, parents will have to pay more fees.

Schools utilize part of the Free Capitation funds to pay salaries and wages for support staff who include: Matrons, Librarians, Watch Persons, Bursars, Copy typists, Clerks and Board of Management (BOM) employed teachers.

Also read: Fees Structure Guidelines for Secondary schools 2025

The government began the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) program in 2008, granting capitation per learner. This is the grant in tuition fees the government gives to every learner in its mandate to actualise the right to education.

Speaking on Thursday, January 2, KUDHEIHA Secretary General Albert Njeru revealed that parents of students from Form 2 to Form 4 will have to dig deeper into their pockets and pay more.

“Capitation is granted to every student. This means that parents with students from Form 2 to Form 4 will have to sacrifice and pay more fees so that the needs of the workers, students, books, and all other school needs are met,” Njeru explained.

According to KUDHEIHA, the rise in fees is to allow schools to meet the day-to-day demands of running the institutions and pay for casual workers.

While expressing his worry about the fate of over 500,000 subordinate workers under KUDHEIHA working in secondary schools who are facing unemployment, Njeru has urged the government to come up with proper policies to govern the release of the capitation funds.