NAIROBI, Kenya — The Commission on Administrative Justice, also known as the Office of the Ombudsman, has advised the State Department for Basic Education to review the cost of accessing Senior Secondary School (Grade 10) placement results via SMS, citing concerns over affordability and access to public information.
The recommendation follows a complaint lodged on December 20, 2025, by a petitioner identified as D.H., who challenged the Sh30 fee charged per SMS for retrieving placement results through the short code 22263.
In a statement, the Ombudsman said the charges should reflect only the actual cost of supplying the information.
“The Commission has recommended that the State Department for Basic Education urgently review the cost of accessing Senior Secondary School (Grade 10) placement results through the Short Message Service (SMS) platform, ensuring that any charges imposed are reasonable and reflect only actual supply costs,” the commission said.
According to the petitioner, parents and students were paying Sh30 for each SMS query despite the results being available free of charge through an online portal managed by the Ministry of Education (Kenya).
However, the commission observed that limited public awareness of the free online option had led many families to rely on the SMS service, effectively exposing them to unnecessary costs.
The Ombudsman further argued that the charge appeared excessive because the results already exist in digital format.
“Any fee for accessing information must reflect only the actual supply cost. In this case, the results were already in digital format, eliminating reproduction costs, and only minimal supply costs could justifiably be charged,” the statement said.
The commission emphasised that Senior Secondary School placement results carry immense public interest, as they directly influence learners’ academic progression and have significant implications for families and the wider education system.
It noted that access to such information goes beyond routine administrative communication and touches on constitutionally protected rights, particularly the right to information guaranteed under Article 35 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
The Ombudsman pointed out that the Constitution obligates the State to proactively disclose public information, a principle further reinforced by the Access to Information Act, 2016.
“Access to such information is therefore not merely administrative but touches on constitutionally protected rights,” the commission said. “Article 35 guarantees every citizen the right of access to information held by the State, while the Access to Information Act operationalises this right.”
Beyond recommending a review of the SMS charges, the commission advised the State Department for Basic Education to publish a clear breakdown of the cost components associated with the SMS service, including the communication charges involved.
It also urged the department to increase public awareness of alternative access channels, particularly the free online portal, to ensure that parents and learners are not compelled to incur unnecessary costs.
Additionally, the Ombudsman called on the government to ensure that any fees charged are reasonable and legally defensible under Section 12 of the Access to Information Act.
The commission further recommended institutionalising stronger stakeholder engagement mechanisms to improve the dissemination of placement results and enhance transparency in education administration.
It concluded that proactive disclosure of such critical information would help strengthen public trust in government systems, reinforce accountability, and align administrative practices with Kenya’s constitutional obligations on access to information.
