Deputy President William Ruto warns heads against extra levies
Students at Kisumu Girls sit for their English exam in 2013. The government has directed headteachers to issue withheld certificates to students who may not have cleared their fee arrears. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The sentiments came after the government directed headteachers to issue withheld certificates to students who may not have cleared their fee arrears.
- The DP added that the government would pay the examination registration fees for primary and secondary school national examination candidates from this year.
Deputy President William Ruto has warned school heads over charging arbitrary levies.
Mr Ruto said headteachers who ask for extra money and slotting into fee structures unnecessary levies like for the purchase of buses should quit or face the law.
The sentiments came after the government directed headteachers to issue withheld certificates to students who may not have cleared their fee arrears.
“We have increased the allocation for free primary and secondary school funding by 35 per cent. The remaining cash will be in school accounts this week,” he added.
He said heads should be held responsible for charging any extra money.
“There must be a way of vetting all the levies to stop headteachers from charging more,” he said.
He added that some of the money could be ending up in the pockets of headteachers.
“Where does this money go? We demand accountability. Before they ask for anything extra, they must account for what they have received from the government,” Mr Ruto said.
PAY REGISTRATION FEES
The DP added that the government would pay the examination registration fees for primary and secondary school national examination candidates from this year.
He was speaking at Wounifer African Inland Church in Uasin Gishu on Sunday.
He also asked parents and school leavers whose certificates were withheld by their institutions over fees arrears to go for them.
“We have also directed heads to release the documents. We will sort them out later. It is immoral to withhold the certificate of a child whose poor parents cannot clear school fees,” he added.
He said withholding the certificates was like holding the children at ransom.
“It is double tragedy as the child has already been punished by poverty,” Mr Ruto added.
Speaking on Saturday in Lumakanda during the funeral of former MP Cyrus Jirongo’s mother, Mr Ruto said a committee would be formed to establish which headteacher would not have obeyed the directive to surrender the certificates.
He insisted that the youth should get those documents to help them secure employment.
Mr Ruto said the government would set up a technical training institute in every constituency to help young people get the necessary and relevant skills to help them survive in the contemporary world.
“We have already budgeted for the establishment of the institutes in 60 constituencies countrywide. We must have a firm quality education foundation to curb unemployment among the youngsters,” he added.
