Head teachers are lying about fees directive, says CS Kaimenyi

NYERI: Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi has described as farfetched claims by schools heads that the directive setting the new fees guidelines would have serious ramifications on their institutions.

Speaking in Nyeri Wednesday, Kaimenyi accused the head teachers of peddling “pure lies to sway the public.” He refuted claims that 100,000 teachers employed by school boards of management will lose their jobs as claimed by secondary school head teachers.

The CS said the school heads are lying to the public on their ability to implement the directive by the Government. Speaking during the dedication ceremony for a multipurpose hall at Mt. Kenya Academy Senior School, Kaimenyi insisted there were a number of secondary schools that were charging fees below the guideline ceiling and were still able to run school functions effectively.

“Schools such as Precious Blood Riruta and Pangani Girls are good examples of schools that are charging fees below the guidelines and are still surviving. Those claiming they won’t survive are cheating Kenyans,” Kaimenyi said.

He said the directive was based on the Kilemi Mweria report, which had set ceilings on the assumption that the Government would cater for teachers’ salaries. “The fees guidelines are based on the assumption that if the Government is catering for the teachers, the Board of Management won’t spend money on salaries,” Kaimenyi said.

He said the Government consulted education stakeholders on the report and accused teachers unions of having agreed to it. “The unions were part of the consultations with stakeholders on the report and they signed it. But now they have changed tune and it is simply a populist tactic,” Kaimenyi said.

The Government has directed that day secondary schools charge Sh9,374, boarding schools Sh53,553, and special schools Sh37,210 annually. The Government will top this up with an annual subsidy of Sh13,000 per student.

However, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) warned that schools will not have enough money to pay teachers employed by boards of management if their budgets are cut by the new fees guidelines.

Kessha Chairman John Awiti protested the fees cap, saying the directive did not take care of the funds schools use to pay teachers employed by boards of management.