Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has issued a stern warning to school principals against raising fees for students joining Form One 2024.
Speaking at Lenana School during the release of the 2024 Form One placement results, Machogu asserted that any unauthorized fee hikes would not be tolerated, especially given the financial challenges parents are currently facing.
He made it clear that unless there is explicit approval from his office, principals engaging in such practices would face consequences.
“If any monkey business is done anywhere, information will come. Even parents are undergoing difficult financial challenges, unless there is express approval from my office. If I get it has been increased, you (principals) will be the first victims,” said Machogu.
Addressing Regional and County Directors of Education, Machogu urged them to ensure that no additional fees are levied by school principals.
“Your main responsibility as county and regional directors of education is to ensure that no principal levies any additional fee,” he added.
Machogu also issued a directive against schools compelling parents to purchase uniforms from specific shops.
The CS stated that parents have the freedom to purchase uniforms from any source, and discouraged the practice of principals engaging in uniform sales.
“Parents should be at liberty to buy uniforms anywhere. People have been making business out of it. It is not the responsibility of the school principal to buy uniform and sell to parents. A principal’s responsibility is not to transact business; that will be conflict of interest,” he added.
This announcement comes on the heels of the CS’s release of the 2024 Form One placements for over one million candidates who completed the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams this year.
According to the Education CS, the placements, released at Lenana School, were executed based on candidates’ preferences and other relevant criteria.
