NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ministry of Education is working on a new school fees framework aimed at easing the financial burden on parents ahead of the 2026 transition of Grade 9 learners to senior school under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Director of Secondary Education William Sugut said a technical team comprising school principals and ministry officials is finalising the structure, which will take into account learning pathways and school categories.
“There is a team that is working on the fee structure with the principals. We will be communicating the new figures. But definitely, it is something that will be affordable to ensure that children can access education,” Mr Sugut said.
The revised fees will reflect the three CBC pathways — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; and Arts and Sports — whose implementation costs vary across schools.
The final figures will also align with the new school clustering system, which replaced the old national, extra-county, county, and sub-county classification.
Under the new system, Kenya’s 9,000 public secondary schools have been grouped into four clusters — C1 to C4. C1 institutions will offer all three learning pathways, while the rest will provide fewer options based on available facilities and teacher capacity.
About one million Grade 9 learners are expected to join senior school in January 2026, marking a major phase in the CBC rollout.
Parents raise concerns
Despite government assurances, some parents have expressed worry over how the new fee model will affect affordability and access.
Many are seeking clarity on whether the transition to Grade 10 will lead to higher costs or force some learners to repeat Grade 9.
There has also been confusion over how the new clustering system will influence school fees, with parents questioning whether previously cheaper schools could see fee hikes under the new structure.
In primary and junior schools, parents have complained about being asked to provide materials for practical lessons, despite government funding meant to cover Competency-Based Education (CBE) resources.
Sugut cautioned school heads against demanding such contributions, saying government capitation already includes a budget for CBE materials.
“Ideally, that is wrong, unless the parent wants to appreciate the teacher for doing so well,” he said, adding that the government issues capitation specifically for classroom demonstrations.
Funding gap flagged
Kenya Primary Schools Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) National Treasurer Kennedy Kyeva noted disparities in government funding between primary and junior schools.
“For Junior School, the capitation is fair at Sh15,000 per learner, as recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms. But for primary school, there is a big gap because the capitation remains Sh1,400 annually,” he said.
Kyeva added that while some lower-grade teachers occasionally ask for demonstration items, such practices are uncommon in Junior Schools (Grades 7–9).
Placement challenge
The ministry is also grappling with a placement challenge after it emerged that nearly 1,000 of the 9,603 public secondary schools were not selected by any Grade 9 learners during the senior school application process.
“We will try as much as possible to place children in one of the 12 schools chosen by every learner. But if there is a difficulty, we shall navigate through that,” Sugut said, assuring parents that the placement process would prioritise learners’ preferences.
The Education Ministry is expected to release the new fee structure before the end of the year, in time for the 2026 transition.
