Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has issued a stern warning to school principals and headteachers across the country against imposing illegal levies on students.
Speaking in Mombasa during a forum with university stakeholders, Ogamba stated that the Ministry of Education would take firm disciplinary action against any school heads found charging fees beyond what has been stipulated by the government.
“No principal or headteacher is allowed to levy any extra charges that are not part of the policy directive by the national government. As we have said before, those levies are unlawful, and the court just affirmed that,” Ogamba remarked.
The CS further emphasised that the government provides capitation to support free education and expects compliance across all public institutions. “We do free education, and we give capitation to all those schools. Stern action will be taken on any headteacher or principal who is found culpable,” he warned.
His remarks come shortly after the High Court ruled that any additional charges imposed by school heads without Ministry approval are illegal, reinforcing the government's position on free and accessible education for all Kenyan learners.
The High Court on Monday, June 16, ruled that no school head would be allowed to charge these levies without a green light from the Education CS, following a petition lodged by a parent from one of the parents from a premier school in Nairobi.
The ruling aimed to ensure that public education in the country remains accessible and affordable to every child.
Last month, the Education CS, in a statement on Tuesday, May 20, cautioned school heads against imposing unauthorised levies on parents, warning that decisive action would be taken against any school head found charging illegal levies to parents.
In a related development, the High Court on April 1 dealt a blow to the government after it declared a directive requiring parents to pay school fees through the eCitizen platform unconstitutional.
High Court Judge Chacha Mwita ruled in favour of a petition filed by Nakuru-based activist Magare Gikenyi and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), who had challenged the government's directive, stating that the process lacked adequate public participation and stakeholder engagement.
He also noted that the Ksh50 convenience fee imposed on transactions using the eCitizen platform had no legal basis.
In February 2024, President William Ruto stated that paying school fees and other government charges via e-Citizen was unstoppable and vowed to tackle any resistance from corrupt cartels.
