Principals Defy Ministry Directive, Send Students Home For Fees Amid School Capitation Crisis
Secondary schools are sending students home over fee arrears, citing the strain caused by capitation issues. Willy Kuria, the national chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha), revealed that despite a meeting with Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, promises of imminent fund releases, the money has not reached schools.
Schools have not yet received 50 percent of the capitation due for the current term despite the government’s directive for parents to pay fees through eCitizen.
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Kuria, who is also the principal of Muranga High School, emphasized the difficulty in managing schools due to suppliers refusing credit and non-teaching staff salaries remaining unpaid.
He emphasized the disarray in schools, citing the challenges of unreleased capitation funds. Headteachers have ignored Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu’s warning against sending students home over fee arrears.
Day schools, particularly those dependent on capitation, are finding it exceptionally challenging, given that 70 percent of students learn in these institutions. Regarding education reform bills, Kessha is preparing a comprehensive memorandum for presentation to Parliament, but Kuria emphasized that effective reforms require reforming the ministry itself.
The national government’s adoption of eCitizen for school fee payments last month aimed to digitize the education system. President William Ruto defended the move as addressing governance challenges such as parallel accounts, unauthorized fees, and fraudulent activities undermining the education system.
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Secondary school principals criticized the change, stating that it lacked stakeholder involvement and would lead to delays in funds and disruptions to school operations.
On March 1, Education Cabinet Secretary Machogu announced that public secondary schools would now receive the full government capitation grant of Sh22,244 per student per year, up from Sh17,000. Despite assurances from officials, the challenges of unreleased funds persist, leaving schools in a state of disarray.
Principals Defy Ministry Directive, Send Students Home For Fees Amid School Capitation Crisis
