Molo MP Kuria Kimani has put school principals on notice over alleged illegal levies being charged to admit Grade 10 learners.
He said the additional charges have hindered the Ministry of Education’s goal of achieving a 100 per cent transition rate.
“It is unacceptable for any school head to introduce illegal levies. Any principal found engaging in such practices will be treated as a criminal,” Kuria warned.
Speaking at Sachangwan village, he accused some school heads of exploiting parents during difficult economic times by imposing charges ranging between Sh5,000 and Sh10,000 for items such as chairs and lockers.
“Some principals have created avenues to exploit parents by charging for desks, chairs and even lockers. This is wrong, especially at a time when families are struggling financially,” he said.
The MP urged parents whose children are yet to report for Grade 10 to ensure they do so immediately, noting that the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) has invested in adequate infrastructure to support the transition.
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“I am calling on the DCC and your team to inspect all schools that have introduced additional levies like desks, chairs and uniform fees. These are people scaring away learners from reporting to school, and they should be treated as criminals,” he stated.
“Molo NG-CDF office has provided schools with adequate infrastructure to support Grade 10 transition, and any teacher found charging these fees without any AGM minutes where parents agree in unison will be forced to find another county to work in,” he added.
Kuria also urged parents to prepare to apply for bursaries to help clear fee arrears and ensure a smooth learning environment.
“We will soon issue bursaries to needy students. I encourage parents to fill out the forms once they are available so that no child is left behind due to lack of fees,” he said.
The sentiments were echoed by Molo Deputy County Commissioner Jackson Olechuta, who revealed that a multi-agency team has been formed to trace learners yet to report to school.
“We have already achieved 85 per cent transition to Grade 10 in the sub-county. The multi-agency team will ensure that the remaining learners are accounted for and report to the school,” Olechuta said.
By Kimuati Langat
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