- Parents in the South Rift have demanded answers from MoE after schools sent learners home for fees despite the recent release of KSh18.51 billion in capitation funds.
- Parents have questioned how the funds are being utilised and accused some school heads of prioritising finances over learners.
- The Ministry had earlier warned principals against charging unauthorised fees, but parents have called for investigations and disciplinary action against schools violating education regulations.
Questions over the management of government capitation funds are growing in the South Rift after a number of senior schools sent learners home for fees, prompting parents to demand an explanation from the Ministry of Education.
The parents want the government to explain how the recently released KSh18.51 billion capitation funds are being distributed and why schools continue to demand payment from families already struggling financially.
The development has caused anxiety among parents, particularly those whose children are preparing for examinations.
Dorothy Kikwai, a parent in Sotik, Bomet County, said sending learners home at this point was unfair to families and disruptive to their education.
“It is sad to send students home at such a time. We have been struggling to make ends meet, and sending children home will disrupt their education,” Kikwai said.
She called on the Ministry of Education to investigate the situation and ensure learners are allowed to remain in school.
“Sending students home at such a time will greatly affect their preparation for examinations. The Ministry of Education needs to intervene,” she said.
Emily Kosgey of Mogogosiek questioned whether schools were receiving the capitation funds announced by the government and how the money was being utilised.
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“The government should clarify the purpose of the capitation that was said to have been released,” Kosgey said.
She said parents were confused by the continued fee demands despite previous government assurances.
“It is sad to send children home yet the government had assured us that no student would be sent home for fees,” she said.
Kosgey appealed to school heads to exercise patience and allow parents more time to raise money.
“We are asking school heads to bear with us and give us time to look for the fees. At the moment, we are at a fix financially,” she said.
Mary Langat from Bureti and Florence Aimanoi from Kericho accused some school heads of putting financial considerations ahead of the interests of learners.
The parents questioned why schools were sending students home only days or weeks after the reported release of capitation funds.
They called for investigations into schools that had sent learners home and urged the government to take disciplinary action against administrators found to have violated education regulations.
The parents also criticised the government, accusing it of failing to protect learners from interruptions to their education.
Some said they felt the government’s assurances that no learner would be sent home for fees had been reduced to empty promises.
Students from various schools in the South Rift have been spotted in towns heading home after principals demanded that outstanding fees be cleared.
The situation comes after the government released KSh18,508,271,486.60 in capitation funds for public basic education institutions for the third term of 2026.
The funds, announced on August 24 by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, cover pre-primary, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary education.
Free Primary Education received about KSh1.4 billion, while Free Day Secondary Education received more than KSh10.9 billion, reflecting the higher operational costs associated with secondary education.
However, education stakeholders and union representatives have warned that the allocation remains below the annual per-learner requirement. Schools also continue to carry accumulated debts and face operational challenges arising from previous funding delays.
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The Ministry of Education has warned school principals against charging unauthorised fees and levies, particularly given the financial pressure facing parents.
The latest complaints have now put the ministry under pressure to explain not only whether the capitation funds have reached schools, but also how they are being utilised and why learners continue to bear the consequences of school fee disputes.
For parents across the South Rift, the demand is simple: transparency over the capitation money and an end to sending learners home for fees.
By Kimutai Langat
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