A new controversy is brewing in Mathioya Sub-county after school heads raised concerns over a letter from the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) requesting financial contributions for activities allegedly covered by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
The uproar follows a circular dated October 7, 2025, authored by Mathioya Sub-county KESSHA Chairperson Joram Wanjohi, instructing principals to allocate funds for “pending KESSHA activities, some pending bills and KCSE management year 2025”.
In the letter, Wanjohi cited a principals’ consultative meeting held onOctober 6, where it was reportedly agreed that all schools in the sub-county contribute specific amounts based on a seven-tier categorization system.
According to the letter, schools in Category 1 are to contribute Ksh 5,000, while those in Category 2 through to 6 are to pay Ksh 10,000, Ksh 15,000, Ksh 20,000, Ksh 25,000, and Ksh 30,000 respectively. Schools under Category 7 are exempted. The funds are to be deposited to the Mathioya District Secondary School Heads Association account.
However, some school heads have questioned the rationale behind contributing money for activities that are, by law, under the jurisdiction of KNEC.
They specifically queried the necessity of contributing funds for the KCSE examination transport, an exercise KNEC is mandated to fund.
Responding to the concerns, KNEC CEO Dr. David Njeng’ere reaffirmed that the examination body allocates sufficient funds for the management and transportation of KCSE exams through Sub-county Directors.
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Wanjohi, when contacted by Education News, defended the contributions, stating that the practice has been in place for several years.
“Previously, we used to contribute Ksh 3,000 for transport and logistical support; we’ve since reduced it to Ksh 2,000,” he said.
He added that the current contributions are primarily meant to support KESSHA activities, and the association is waiting to see if KNEC will provide adequate transportation.
“If KNEC provides enough vehicles, we will not use the money allocated for transport,” he noted.
Additionally, principals voiced concern over a directive requiring each school to contribute Ksh 10,000 for a financial management training scheduled for October 7th to 9th. Out of this amount, Ksh 7,500 was to be sent to the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI), with the balance intended for meals and conference facilities. Initially, schools were instructed to deposit the full amount into the KESSHA account in sub counties, which raised transparency concerns.
Murang’a County Director of Education Philip Wambua later clarified the situation, stating that the training is a national policy facilitated by KEMI and that all schools are expected to support such capacity-building initiatives.
He subsequently rescinded the directive to deposit funds into the KESSHA account, instructing schools instead to issue cheques directly to KEMI.
Murang’a County has a total of 322 secondary schools, the exercise will be held at Murang’a High School and Kamahuha Girls’ High School
The latest developments have triggered calls for greater transparency and clarity regarding financial contributions within school associations, especially on matters already under government-funded programs.
By Our Reporter
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