Illegal levies burden parents as learners face exclusion from Secondary Schools

Unauthorised levies in public secondary schools are placing a growing financial burden on families, with 98 per cent of households surveyed saying they had paid or expected to pay illegal charges, a new survey has revealed.

The 2026 Illegal School Levies Survey by the Elimu Bora Working Group (EBWG) found that additional charges, including development, activity, ICT, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), remedial tuition and motivation fees, were widespread across the schools covered.

The report said the levies were forcing families to shoulder costs beyond the official fees, with some learners reportedly being sent home, excluded from school activities or prevented from sitting examinations because of unpaid charges.

The survey analysed 388 valid responses from 12 counties after 423 responses were received and assessed. Parents accounted for 78 per cent of respondents, while 61 per cent of households reported monthly incomes below Sh30,000.

“Most respondents are parents (78%), and household incomes are low: three in five earn under Sh30,000 a month,” the report says.

According to the findings, 49.2 per cent of households are expected to pay remedial or motivation fees in 2026, up from 37.4 per cent in 2025. Activity levies were projected to rise from 27.3 per cent to 39.9 per cent over the same period.

Development levies were expected to increase from 19.6 per cent in 2025 to 32.2 per cent in 2026, while ICT or computer levies were projected to rise from 7.5 per cent to 21.6 per cent.

The report attributed part of the increase to the transition of the first Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) cohort to Grade 10, saying ICT-related charges had increased sharply.

“Households paying an ICT levy; Grade 10 jumped from 2 per cent to 43 per cent,” the report says.

The survey also found that boarding school costs were significantly higher than the gazetted fee ceiling. The average boarding school bill stood at Sh62,715, which was 17 per cent above the official cap of Sh53,554.

In day schools, the average bill was Sh20,619, with a median of Sh19,000, despite day secondary education being designated as free.

The report said 28 households expected to pay more than Sh100,000 for a boarding place, excluding additional expenses such as uniforms and bedding.

“Boarding families pay well above the official cap, and day-school families pay around Sh20,000 for a service that should be free,” the report states.

The cost of uniforms and bedding was another major burden. The typical admission kit was estimated at Sh22,050, equivalent to 41 per cent of the annual school fee. Some parents reported paying as much as Sh54,857 for a single boarding uniform set.

The report said some schools required parents to purchase uniforms and bedding from designated vendors, increasing costs and limiting competition.

“Beyond fees, families face a one-off kitting bill worth 41% of the annual fee,” the report says, noting that ICT, remedial and development levies were also common.

The financial pressure was reflected in how families viewed the charges. Some 61.6 per cent of respondents considered the levies difficult or unaffordable, while only 19.1 per cent said parents had been properly consulted before the charges were introduced.

The survey also found limited transparency in the use of levy funds. Some 58.2 per cent of respondents said they had received no meaningful explanation of how the money collected was used.

Most parents also appeared reluctant to complain. The report said 87.4 per cent had never lodged a complaint, with 54 per cent citing fear that their children would be victimised.

The consequences for learners were significant. Some 64.9 per cent of day-school respondents and 40.5 per cent of boarding-school respondents said learners had been sent home or excluded from school activities because of unpaid levies.

Examination access was also affected. Some 51.1 per cent of day-school respondents said learners had missed examinations because of unpaid charges, compared with 29.3 per cent of boarding-school respondents.

A parent with a child in a boarding school in Baringo County said families were being forced to choose between basic household needs and school payments.

“The family is struggling between buying basic needs and paying the illegal fees. Once you don’t pay, your child and you as a parent are victimised,” the parent said.

The survey found that two in three parents had received verbal demands for payment, while 44.3 per cent reported being threatened that their children would be sent home.

The report said the problem was systemic, with unauthorised levies reported in every county and school category covered by the survey.

It recommended a national audit of school fee structures, sanctions against institutions imposing unauthorised charges and refunds to parents who had paid illegal levies.

The report also called on schools to provide parents with clear information on gazetted fees and stressed that day schools should remain free.

It recommended an end to single-vendor arrangements for uniforms and bedding and urged schools to adopt transparent procurement practices.

The report further called for the timely release of full capitation funds to schools, transparent budgets, official school accounts and receipts for every payment made by parents.

It urged schools not to send learners home, deny them meals or bar them from examinations because of unpaid levies.

The survey recommended establishment of a national assessment and levy database to determine the scale of the problem and strengthen enforcement.

“The problem is not a lack of law; it is a lack of enforcement,” the report states.

The study covered boarding, day, and mixed schools in clusters C1 to C4, focusing on payments made in 2025 and those expected in 2026.

However, EBWG cautioned that its findings were indicative rather than nationally representative because the survey used a non-probability sample and relied on self-reported payments.

By Ian Chepkuto and Wangari Mwangi