Education Principal Secretary Dr. Julius Jwan has revealed the role of the Ministry of Education in determining fee charged after school fires caused by students.
This comes after uproar from parents who have been forced to pay exorbitant charges for the repair and rebuilding of school infrastructure destroyed by students as a wave of unrest sweeps across the country.
In an interview appearing in the press on November 14, Jwan explained that the Ministry is often consulted by schools before a figure is assigned.
The exercise also involves experts from the department of Public Works, which falls under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
"The Ministry does not have allocation to finance infrastructure destroyed during unrest. Parents have to bear the costs.
"However, the costs must be determined in consultation with the Public Works and Ministry officials. The expenses incurred by schools in mitigating unrest also come in. Boards may resolve to install CCTV systems or increase the number of guards," stated the PS.
He was responding to questions posed to him by members of the public even as schools continue to report cases of students arrest.
It is estimated that as of mid-November, 35 schools had been torched with the boarding section being the most affected as several dormitories went up in flames.
Kakamega High School Principal Gerald Orina has been under pressure after students at the institution were asked to fork out Ksh21 million for repairs.
Parents had complained that they were not consulted when the institution assigned a figure with all parents expected to contribute towards the damage caused by the unrest.
Every student at Kakamega High School was asked to pay nearly Ksh10,000 to cater for the damages and the institution's population is estimated at 2,200.
At Buruburu Girls High School in Nairobi, parents were directed to pay Ksh1,500 each before students resumed learning. Some parents had also lamented that the figure was too high.
The Ministry of Education, however, cautioned students participating in torching schools that they would face arrests and that they would not be readmitted in any other public schools.
