Koskei puts 80,000 school heads on notice over illegal levies

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei during a virtual meeting with school principals on March 11, 2026. [Courtesy]

The government has ordered school principals to stop charging parents unauthorised fees or face action, warning the practice violates policy.

Addressing more than 80,000 school administrators in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the government had taken note of schools that continue to impose extra charges disguised as costs for uniforms, sports equipment and other materials.

"Such practices undermine the spirit and intent of government policy and place unnecessary burden on parents and guardians. I wish to make it clear that such actions must stop immediately," said Koskei.

The meeting, themed "Strengthen governance in secondary schools: roles of Board of Management and school leadership," brought together principals, boards of management and senior finance and procurement officers from public secondary schools across the country.

Koskei directed school leadership to engage the Ministry of Education formally rather than pass financial pressure on to parents.

"If it is found that the fees guidelines that have been given are not adequate to run a school, please have a conversation with the ministry until you agree, so that we do not transfer the challenges we are having in schools to parents," he added.

However, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman Willie Kuria pushed back, noting that the government's own funding model was broken.

The fees structure used by schools was set in 2014 and has not been reviewed despite sharp increases in the cost of goods and services.

"Because of the little capitation that is coming, it becomes so difficult for schools to operate," observed Kuria.

He noted that while boarding schools are approved to charge Sh53,000 annually, the actual cost of educating a student per year stands at Sh95,000.

 Out of the approved capitation of Sh22,244 per student, schools receive only about Sh14,000.

"Almost all schools in the country have debts to suppliers," Kuria noted.

The rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum had further strained school budgets, he added, as institutions are compelled to hire specialist teachers on Board of Management terms at their own cost.

Despite those pressures, Koskei held firm, directing principals to channel any grievances to the ministry rather than to parents' pockets.

He directed school principals and Boards of Management to strictly follow all circulars and policies issued by the Ministry of Education regarding school fees.

“I wish to make it clear that such actions must stop immediately,” he said.

Koskei said enforcing the rules will help ensure that children are not denied access to education because of financial pressure on families.

“Our collective responsibility is to ensure that access to education is not hindered by practices that place undue financial strain on families,” he said.