Mad rush for back to school amid financial crunch

Parents at Savanis Book Centre, Nairobi shopping for requirements ahead of school re-opening next week on December 31, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

With just a day to the January 5, 2026 reopening of schools, parents are out and about preparing for back to school just few days after the Christmas and New Year festivity.

The annual back-to-school rush is in full swing but this year, it comes with louder complaints, tighter budgets and growing frustration from households.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa has urged the government to direct school heads to show understanding to parents struggling with fees and to stop sending learners home as schools reopen.

Obuhatsa called for a firm circular from the Ministry of Education, warning principals against sending students away over fees.

“We are calling on the government to send a stern circular out to all senior school heads never at any given time to send learners home from school for any single given reason,” he said.

Catherine Atieno, a mother of a Form three student says buying new commodities  remains a luxury.

Atieno further note that the tension between need and affordability continues to define this back-to-school season amongst many parents.

“I’m looking for basic commodities on my shopping list on the streets to cut on cost. New ones are out of reach to many of us parents. Any saving helps,” she said.

Her story is similar to Mary Njoki a parent to a Grade 8 student who is worried about inflation, tariffs and rising living costs.

Njoki noted that this has pushed her to look for discounts and cutting back on non-essentials.

“I got old text books from my neighbour whose son is moving to the next class. With uniforms I have bought some second hand from Uhuru Market which are relatively cheaper,” said Njoki.

For many families, the two-month December holiday has stretched their pockets down. Between festive travel, food, clothes, church contributions and keeping children entertained, parents say their finances are stretched to the limit.

Jane Wanjiru, a mother of three in Nairobi said the cost of uniforms, textbooks, stationery and school bags is another hard and fresh blow to them.

“This has to be the hardest back-to-school season I can remember. We spent heavily during the holidays because children were home every day. Now schools are reopening and everything is expensive. Even socks are not cheap,” she said.

Parents complain that prices of key items have risen steadily, while some textbooks remain unavailable despite early shopping. Several say they started buying items as early as November but are still missing crucial books.

“I started early so that I don’t suffer during admission. But up to now, two textbooks are missing. Every shop I go to tells me they are out of stock or still waiting for supplies,” said Peter Mwangi, a father of a Grade 10 student in Kiambu.

Booksellers acknowledge the shortages, blaming delayed school booklists and the cost of holding unsold stock in previous years.

James Ouma, proprietor of Joy bookshop noted that last year’s lack of a Form One intake left many traders with millions of shillings tied up in dead stock.

“The syllabus has changed several times. Last year and the year before, we made losses because books didn’t move. Now the cost has gone up, and unfortunately we have to pass some of that cost to the consumer,” he said.

A student carry a box in Kakamega town in readness for school reopening next week on December 31, 2025. [Benjamin Sakwa/ Standard]

At the same time, retailers say with the high cost of living biting hard, parents are increasingly opting for second-hand textbooks, recycled uniforms and cheaper bags.

Seline Mweu, a uniform trader in the city centre said this cautious spending is a sharp contrast to the visible foot traffic in shops.

 “People are buying, yes, but they are buying cautiously. Many parents come, ask for prices, then decide to go look for second-hand items. Some only buy one uniform instead of two,” Mweu said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba recently announced that government capitation for senior schools remains unchanged at Sh22,244 per learner and that funds for Term One amounting to Sh44.2 B have already been disbursed.

Obuhatsa noted that many parents are strained by the high cost of school requirements, which eats into money meant for fees.

“Parents are trying their best… but with limited resources many may not meet the required school fees. let school principals discuss with parents on how they can settle fees,” he said.

He warned that sending learners home exposes them to danger amid rising road accidents. “These are very young children… we want to secure all senior school students,” he said.

Leonard Mukaya, a retailer with Joyleen are urging parents not to wait until the last minute rush, saying early shopping is critical to avoid disappointment.

“Historically, we try to stock most book requirements. But as good as we think we are, we make mistakes. When you wait until the last minute, you find we’re short.”