Govt Plans Arrests of Senior Education Officers Over Illegal School Fees Scandal
The government has revealed plans to arrest and take legal action against senior education officers accused of facilitating illegal school fees and related charges, as pressure mounts from Members of Parliament over continued exploitation of parents.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba came under intense scrutiny on Wednesday during the ongoing National Assembly legislative retreat in Naivasha.
Lawmakers questioned him sharply over what they described as the Ministry of Education’s failure to stop unlawful school fees, uniform cartels, and hidden levies that continue to burden parents across the country.
The issue was raised during the 2026 legislative retreat, in a session focused on reviewing the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
MPs expressed frustration, saying the reforms introduced by the ministry appear superficial and have not addressed real challenges facing parents and learners.
They cited persistent problems such as inflated school fees, overpriced uniforms, and unapproved remedial charges.
In his response, CS Ogamba admitted that the problem is real and widespread. He revealed that the ministry is aware of collusion between some school principals and education quality assurance officers at the grassroots level.
According to him, this collaboration has allowed schools to impose illegal levies on parents without fear of punishment.
“We have quality control officers whose duty is to enforce ministry policies, but some of them have failed in that responsibility,” Ogamba said. “We are going to ensure that our officers fully enforce the ministry’s directives.”
He further disclosed that the government is proposing amendments to the Basic Education Amendment Act to strengthen enforcement and accountability.
The proposed changes, which will soon be presented to Parliament, will introduce legal consequences for officers who fail to act against schools violating fee regulations.
The CS also announced that the ministry will gazette new policy guidelines on school fees, uniforms, and remedial charges later this week. He explained that the gazette notice has already been prepared and will consolidate all existing guidelines into one clear framework.
“The gazette notice will cover everything, including fees for day secondary schools, boarding schools, uniforms, and extra charges,” Ogamba said. He added that once approved by Parliament, the new policies will give the ministry stronger powers to act against both schools and rogue officials.
Ogamba noted that the current law has made it difficult to punish principals and teachers involved in illegal practices. He explained that the Basic Education Act does not clearly outline how such offences should be handled, limiting the ministry’s ability to take decisive action.
He also pointed out that disciplinary action against teachers largely falls under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which is an independent constitutional body. As a result, the ministry’s authority to act directly against teachers involved in illegal fee practices is limited.
During the heated session, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah openly criticised senior officials within the Ministry of Education. He accused the ministry’s Principal Secretary of being out of touch with realities on the ground.
“You have the most clueless PS in the Ministry of Education,” Ichung’wah told Ogamba. “He sits in Nairobi and does not understand what is happening in schools. Step out of your offices and go to the field to address the real problems facing parents and learners.”
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula also weighed in, describing some of the ministry’s field officers as ineffective.
He urged the CS to formally present the proposed policy changes to Parliament and assured him that the House would support efforts to clean up the education sector.
The continued outcry over exorbitant school fees and uniform cartels recently forced President William Ruto to intervene directly.
Last Thursday, the President issued a directive allowing all students transitioning to Grade 10 to report to their assigned schools even if they have not paid fees or acquired senior school uniforms.
Speaking during the Nyota Capital disbursement event in Meru County on Thursday, January 22, President Ruto emphasised that children should not be denied access to education due to financial hardship.
He directed that students from struggling families be allowed to join senior schools while wearing their junior secondary school (JSS) uniforms.
The President further ordered education officials and school principals to implement the directive immediately. He stressed that no child should be kept at home over school fees or uniforms, insisting that all eligible learners must be allowed to start the academic year on time.
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