By Agnes Orang’o
The Ministry of Education has been urged to investigate schools in Machakos County imposing illegal levies.
Speaking at Kangundo, a parliamentary aspirant Abednego Muli expressed concerns over the number of children from primary and secondary schools being sent home for fees and other levies.
He noted that the late president Mwai Kibaki made education free and compulsory so that every child could access it.
However, many schools have introduced more levies that have become a burden to many parents, making a number of children drop out of school.
“Education is free and mandatory but many schools are charging a lot of money. No child should be home unless they are sick or schools are closed,” he said.
He said even the education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has prohibited schools sending children home for the regular fees.
He called on schools to consult the County Education Board for approval before imposing such fees.
The aspirant promised to fight to ensure no child misses school due to fees, saying he is focused on improving the education standards in Kangundo Sub-county.
“I know you can’t fight alone as a parent for fear of victimization. I will ensure that our parents are not burdened by such levies,” he noted.
