Government Slashes School Fees

The Government, through the Ministry of Education, on Monday slashed fees for Secondary School students.

In a circular from the Ministry, students in secondary boarding schools including National and extra-county schools will pay a maximum of Sh53,000 from Sh100,000 whereas their counterparts in day schools will not pay any fees.

The government increased its subsidy to boarding students from Sh12, 870 to Sh22,240 for each student per year.

[caption caption="File image of President Uhuru Kenyatta, CS Fred Matiang'i and Ministry of Education officials"][/caption]

Students in day schools will only be required to cater for their uniform and accommodation charges in the new arrangement.

"In order to ensure a 100 percent transition for learners and remove the burden from parents, the parent component of Sh 9,374 has been taken up and as such, learners in day-schools will not pay any fees,” the circular read in part.

Parents of day school students will, however, be required to clear all their pending dues accrued before January 2018 to start benefitting from the offer.

Ministry of Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang announced that the first batch of the free education cash would be released next month.

"The first disbursement is in December and subsequent disbursements are in April and August each year or as resources flow from the Treasury,” he stated.

In the new structure, school boards have been charged with the duty of recruiting and overseeing non-teaching staff.

[caption caption="CS Fred Matiang'i interacting with students"][/caption]

β€œTo minimise the cost of secondary education, it is necessary to rationalise the recruitment of non-teaching staff. It shall be responsibility of parents to hire them at terms commensurate with qualifications and capacity to pay,” the Ministry stated.