Ruto directs Kaimenyi to release fee guideline

What you need to know:

  • According to him, the government allocates up Sh15 million annually to national schools and that it was unfair to charge parents.
  • Mr Ruto said that some of the items which the parents were paying for were unnecessary for the learning process.
  • In the past month, many parents have been forced to dig deeper into their pockets to send their children to school.

Deputy President William Ruto on Saturday ordered a probe into secondary schools charging over Sh55,000.

He also ordered the Ministry of education to give a fee guideline next week because many students joining Form One were being locked out as school management boards were imposing levies parents could not afford.

“Those who charge exorbitant school fees must be reigned on. These are people exploiting parents and locking many deserving students out of school,” said Ruto.

“Secondary schools are charging as much as Sh100,000 for a Form One student yet a university charges about Sh50,000 per semester. The teachers must explain where they are taking the extra money,” he said.

According to him, the government allocates up Sh15 million annually to national schools and that it was unfair to charge parents.

CLEAR GUIDELINES

He also ordered that secondary day schools should not charge more than Sh5,000 annually, arguing that MPs had been allocated CDF money so that they can build classrooms and other facilities needed by the institutions.

“The ministry of Education must within the next week give clear guidelines on how much the schools must pay to end this confusion,” ordered Ruto.

Mr Ruto said that some of the items which the parents were paying for were unnecessary for the learning process.

In the past month, many parents have been forced to dig deeper into their pockets to send their children to school.

In some institutions, new students are required to bring with them items such as spades, pangas and jembes. In addition, they are supposed to buy school uniforms and stationery from selected outlets which they have complained are inflated.

Parents and activists who attempted to march to the Ministry of education offices were teargased by police before they could present their petition to the Cabinet Secretary.

The DP spoke at Baricho Primary School in Kirinyaga County when he presided over a fundraiser for needy children.