Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba recommended that the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) institutes disciplinary action against Alliance Girls High School Principal Margaret Njeru after implementing an unauthorised fee hike.
According to Ogamba, an assessment by the Ministry of Education revealed that Ms. Njeru presided over an illegal fee increase from the approved Sh53,558 to a staggering Sh120,179, thereby imposing a burden on the parents and guardians.
“The unauthorised fees structure was imposed without the approval of the Cabinet Secretary as by law required, and is therefore contrary to Section 29(2)(b) of the Basic Education Act, 2013,” said Ogamba in a letter to Acting TSC CEO Evaleen Mitei.
“The Principal facilitated the adoption and implementation of a budget containing non-essential and unrealistic expenditure items, as further particularized in the investigative assessment report enclosed herewith.”
Ogamba, in a separate letter to Regional Director of Education Sabina Aroni, further stated that an assessment carried out by the ministry’s Quality Assurance and Standards Directorate recommended the dissolution of the school board.
The report found that the board had approved a budget that contained “non-essential and unrealistic expenditure areas” which contributed to the unauthorized fee hike.
These include; moral and spiritual activities (Sh1,100,000); annual trips (Sh16 million); prize giving/speeches (Sh13 million); prize vouchers/sweets/examiners (Sh5 million); airtime/administrative allowance (Sh3 million).
“The Board of Management failed in its duty to guide on prudent management of financial resources. For instance, during a meeting held on 16th October, 2025, approval was granted to spend Sh25,000,000 on a five-day staff trip to Dubai, with the school management being tasked to find a way on how to bridge the gap of Sh13,000,000,” stated CS Ogamba to Ms. Aroni.
“By this letter, you are required to bring the subject report to the attention of the County Education Board for consideration and appropriate recommendations to the undersigned in line with the provisions of the Basic Education Act, 2013 and the Regulations thereunder.”
The directive comes against the backdrop of sweeping reforms in school fees aimed at eliminating arbitrary charges and easing the burden on parents.
In a Gazette notice dated February 6, 2026, Ogamba unveiled a new fees structure for public senior schools designed to standardise charges across the country, enhance transparency and protect parents from excessive levies.
Under the revised framework, day senior schools are effectively free, with the government covering the full cost of Sh22,244 per student.
This includes Sh4,144 for tuition, Sh1,500 for co-curricular activities, Sh2,000 for medical and insurance, and Sh200 for SMASSE programmes.
For boarding senior schools, the fees vary depending on previously approved caps.
Schools that were earlier allowed to charge up to Sh53,554 will now have a total cost of Sh75,798, with parents paying up to Sh53,554 while the government contributes Sh22,244.
In institutions where the previous maximum stood at Sh40,535, parents will continue to pay that amount, topped up by a government contribution of Sh22,244 to bring the total to Sh62,779.
Other cost components include Sh9,400 for administration, learning and teaching materials, electricity, water and conservancy, and physical education, alongside Sh5,000 allocated for maintenance and
improvement.
Parents are not required to pay for key components such as teaching and learning materials, medical and insurance, and SMASSE, as these are fully covered by government funding.
Boarding-related costs—covering areas such as meals, accommodation and associated services—are borne by parents and range between Sh25,385 and Sh30,385 depending on the category of the school.
Special needs schools have also been factored into the revised structure, with parents expected to pay Sh12,790 while the government contributes Sh57,974 per learner, bringing the total to Sh70,764.
The latest action by the ministry signals a tightening of oversight in the education sector, with officials warning that school heads who flout approved fees guidelines will face disciplinary consequences.
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