Parents decry financial burden as Kapenguria boys imposes Ksh 11,270 levy after store fire

• Parents at Kapenguria boys are up in arms after the school imposed Ksh 11,270  on students to cover the fire damages.

• They argue that the approach risks punishing students and families who may not have been involved in the incident.

• If fully implemented, the levy could raise approximately Ksh22.54 million, a figure that has sparked debate among parents and education stakeholders.

Parents of students at Kapenguria Boys High School have expressed concern over a new financial burden imposed by the school administration following damage caused by a recent fire that destroyed the school store.

The school has reportedly directed each of the estimated 2,000 students to pay Ksh 11,270 as a contribution toward restoring the damaged facility.

If fully implemented, the levy could raise approximately Ksh22.54 million, a figure that has sparked debate among parents and education stakeholders.

While there is general agreement that those responsible for the destruction of property should be held accountable, a section of parents is questioning the fairness and transparency of distributing the cost equally among all learners.

They argue that the approach risks punishing students and families who may not have been involved in the incident.

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Parents are now calling on the school management to provide a clear and detailed breakdown of how the figure was determined, including the valuation of losses, insurance considerations if any, and the procurement or reconstruction estimates used to arrive at the final amount.

“We need clarity on how the cost was assessed and why every parent is being required to pay the same amount regardless of individual responsibility,” one concerned parent said.

The development has reignited broader discussions on school governance, accountability, and the balance between recovering losses and safeguarding parents from excessive financial demands.

Education stakeholders say such incidents highlight the need for transparent financial planning and stronger preventive measures to avoid recurrence of similar incidents in learning institutions.

By Daniel Lokwang