The Council of Governors (COG) Education Committee chairperson, Eric Mutai, has asked the government to suspend the directive on payment of school fees through eCitizen until adequate guidelines are put in place.
While speaking at his office on February 6, Mutai who doubles as the Kericho governor, called for proper structures to guide parents and teachers since schools had already reopened.
"In as much as it is a good idea, we ask the ministry to be a bit organised so that our people will not be in doubt as to whether is there a fraud or something sinister behind it," Mutai lamented while calling for more awareness on the directive.
In his appeal, he asked the Principal Secretary for Education, Belio Kipsang to profile the information early enough to avoid eliciting negative reactions from Kenyans.
"We call for better structures. Right now schools are open, children have reported, learning is ongoing, and then when we are halfway through the term you wake up in the morning and tell people to make payment through eCitizen," Mutai complained.
Through profiling the information on eCitizen, the government ought to explain the directive in an organised manner so that parents understand what necessitated the changes and additionally, present a way forward for those struggling to pay school fees.
Previous directives such as tourists paying fees via eCitizen elicited mixed reactions, with the majority of visitors complaining of long queues and technical delays.
However, Mutai lauded the motive behind the directive, stating that consolidating all government revenue under one system will offer transparency and enable the national government to plan better.
Education's Principal Secretary directed all national schools to pay school fees through eCitizen in a notice dated January 31. Kenya's national schools were the first to implement the directive, which will see parents pay fees through the government's pay bill number; 222222.
Headteachers were ordered to submit bank account details for analysis before the order took shape.
On February 5, Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok also announced plans to enrol more schools countrywide.
"To ensure a smooth rollout, the new payment system will be implemented in phases beginning with national schools and subsequently extending to extra county and county schools," Bitok clarified.
Meanwhile, a Nakuru doctor filed a petition calling for the suspension of the directive and all other orders necessitating payment of government services through the eCitizen platform.
In his application, Dr. Magare Gikenyi, a Consultant Trauma and General Surgeon working for the county government of Nakuru, argued that the directives were illegal and violated the principles of good governance.
He added that President William Ruto issued the orders which were effected without public participation, especially the Ksh50 convenience fee charged on the platform.
