Ruto Issues Fresh Directive to School Principals and Parents on Paying School Fees
President William Ruto has reaffirmed his government’s stand on using the e-Citizen platform for paying school fees, despite a recent High Court ruling that declared the move unconstitutional.
Speaking on Thursday, June 19, during the 3rd National Executive Retreat, Ruto made it clear that the government will not change its decision to have all educational institutions adopt the digital payment system.
Ruto stated that he plans to meet with the heads of schools who are still resisting the transition to e-Citizen. He accused some school leaders of deliberately avoiding the digital platform because they are hiding suspicious activities related to finances.
The President also called on parents to play an active role in this matter by demanding to pay school fees through the e-Citizen platform.
He insisted that the digital payment system not only shows the government’s commitment to digitising services but also helps increase accountability and transparency in public institutions.
“There are some institutions that still refuse to accept fee payments through e-Citizen because they have things they don’t want to expose.
Some have even taken us to court over this. We are planning to have a meeting with primary and secondary school heads who have continued to reject the digital system,” Ruto said.
“These schools still use exercise books to issue handwritten receipts, but we are saying that those days are over. We are in a new era that requires full transparency. I urge parents to insist on using e-Citizen when paying fees.
I appreciate the schools that have already adopted this method because it shows they support honesty and openness,” he added.
This push for digital payment began earlier in the year. On January 31, 2024, then Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang issued a circular instructing all parents and students to use the eCitizen platform to pay school fees in public learning institutions.
The circular also required that any extra charges or levies by schools be paid through the same platform.
However, this directive sparked backlash among various education stakeholders who argued that they had not been consulted or included in the decision-making process. They expressed concerns about the practicality and legality of the new system.
In response to this, a petition was filed in court by Nakuru-based activist Magare Gikenyi and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), challenging the government’s decision.
On April 1, 2025, High Court Judge Chacha Mwita ruled in favour of the petitioners, stating that the government’s directive did not follow due process and lacked adequate public consultation.
The court also questioned the Ksh50 convenience fee that was being charged on each e-Citizen transaction, ruling that it was not legally justified.
“The High Court has declared that the Ministry of Education’s order to make school fee payments through eCitizen was irrational, unconstitutional, and therefore invalid,” said lawyer Omochokoro O’mong’oni, who represented the Law Society of Kenya in the case.
Despite this ruling, President Ruto appears determined to move forward with the digitisation of school fee payments.
His comments suggest that the government is ready to engage with school administrators who oppose the plan and encourage parents to demand accountability through digital payments.
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