Private schools first casualties as exam fee waiver phased out

Education CS Julius Ogamba at Kiirua Technical Training Institute's graduation in Meru. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Private schools will be the first to feel the pinch of the government’s plan to end free examination fees, as the National Treasury begins a phased withdrawal of the waiver that has cushioned learners for over a decade.

Beginning next year, parents with children in private schools will be required to foot the bill for national examinations—including the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).