Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has renewed his warning to school administrators against imposing unauthorised levies on parents, saying disciplinary action will continue against principals who flout government regulations on school fees and project contributions.
Speaking during Education Day celebrations at Mbiriri Comprehensive School in Nyeri County on Saturday, July 18, Ogamba said schools must strictly follow government guidelines before introducing any charges beyond approved fees.
“Where that happens, and it is brought to our attention, we are now taking action against the principals,” Ogamba said. “Unless the levy has been approved, gone through the required process, accepted by parents and cleared under ministry protocols, it should not be charged.”
The CS revealed that several principals have already faced disciplinary action after their schools imposed unauthorised levies without following the ministry’s laid-out procedures. He singled out the practice of introducing new charges under the guise of special school projects, describing it as unacceptable.
According to Ogamba, any proposed levy must first be presented to and endorsed by parents before being submitted to the Ministry of Education for formal approval. He said charges introduced outside this process remain illegal regardless of how schools justify them.
Beyond the levy crackdown, Ogamba urged school administrators to strengthen dialogue with learners as part of broader efforts to address the root causes of the wave of student unrest witnessed in schools across the country in recent weeks.
His remarks came days after he condemned unrest at Nyabisase Mixed Secondary School in Kisii County, where students destroyed school property. He said the government would hold those responsible accountable while also working to understand what is driving the indiscipline.
“The law will take its full course on that incident,” Ogamba said. “This time we need to go deeper and establish the root cause of these challenges because we do not want a situation where schools are experiencing indiscipline, or students are torching dormitories.”
During the same event, Mbiriri Comprehensive School Board Chairperson Purity Ngina praised the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, saying it had transformed learning by allowing students to demonstrate practical skills and competencies beyond the confines of examinations.
The Ministry of Education maintains that enforcing approved levy structures, alongside stronger engagement between school management, parents and learners, remains central to improving the learning environment and curbing unrest in schools nationwide.
