The Ministry of Education’s Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba, has addressed reports that boarding fees in public senior schools have been increased.
This comes following reports that the government has scrapped free education capitation money from Ksh22,244 to Ksh14,870 for all students in senior schools.
CS Ogamba, however, dismissed the reports in a statement on November 6, 2025, reaffirming that the approved capitation for learners remains at Ksh22,244 per student per year.
He clarified that no adjustments have been made to boarding or any other fees payable by students in public secondary schools.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports in sections of the media to the effect that boarding fees payable by learners in public senior schools have been revised upwards. Parents, learners, and the general public are hereby notified that there has been no revision of boarding fees, or any other fees, payable by learners,” the statement read in part.
Govt dismisses slashing of Senior Schools’ capitation from Ksh22,244
The ministry emphasized that the existing guidance on payable amounts remains in force, urging schools to continue adhering to the approved fee structures.
CS Ogamba further reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of funding public education through the capitation system.
“The Government will continue to fulfil its constitutional duty of providing capitation for learners in senior school. The approved rate of capitation for this level of education remains Ksh22,244 per learner per year,” he stated.
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The clarification comes after the government announced that all senior secondary schools in Kenya will now charge the same annual fees, effective next year, in accordance with the guidelines on the implementation of senior schools published by the ministry.
As of January 2026, all secondary schools will adhere to a standardized schedule. Senior school students enrolled in boarding schools will pay Ksh53,554 annually.
“The school fees to be charged for all categories of boarding school shall, for the time being, remain at Ksh53,554.00 as per the Gazette Notice No. 1555 of 10th March 2015,” read part of the guidelines.
Guidelines on Fee Collection in Senior Schools
Schools are required to adhere to the annual fee guidelines issued by the ministry and seek written approval from the Cabinet Secretary for any additional levies through the County Education Board (CEB).
Fee structures must be issued at the start of the academic year, specifying vote heads such as tuition, boarding, meals, and activity fees.
Parents must be given advance notice of fee collection deadlines, and schools are required to designate official payment channels. All payments must be accompanied by official receipts that clearly indicate the amount, date, and purpose.
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Where necessary, schools may allow fees to be paid in instalments, provided that clear documentation of the payment plan is signed by both parties to prevent disputes and ensure that students are not denied access to education.
Schools have been categorized into four clusters: Cluster 1 (formerly national schools), Cluster 2 (extra-county schools), Cluster 3 (county schools), and Cluster 4 (day schools).
Learners will be assessed in seven subjects, of which four are core subjects: English, Kiswahili/KSL, Core Mathematics/Essential Mathematics, and Community Service Learning (CSL). The remaining three shall be selected from the pathways and tracks of choice.
Meanwhile, CS Ogamba revealed that the ministry has been disbursing Ksh1.1 billion to ghost students in public schools over the years.
The CS Ogamba, while appearing before the National Assembly plenary on Wednesday, said that the number could even be higher, considering that the verification process is not complete, with 934 schools yet to present their data to the ministry.
The verification process has already led to the closure of ten secondary schools, according to the Ministry of Education, which stated that these schools had no students.
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