Key Points:
- The fee waiver, introduced by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2015, aimed to boost access to national exams and ease the financial burden on parents.
- The move to scrap it comes at a time when the education sector faces multiple funding challenges.
- Teachers’ unions and parents’ associations have called for a review of the decision, urging the government to consider alternative ways to support vulnerable students.
Nairobi, Kenya — The Ministry of Education has announced the discontinuation of the exam fee waiver policy that was introduced under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. The waiver had previously covered the registration costs for candidates sitting the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu stated that the move is part of broader cost-cutting measures as the government seeks to reallocate funds towards other priority sectors. This change means that parents and guardians will now bear the full cost of registering their children for the national exams.
Under the new directive, parents and guardians will now be responsible for paying the examination fees for their children. The Ministry of Education has indicated that this move is part of broader budgetary adjustments and aims to reallocate resources to other critical areas within the education sector.
While the government has assured that measures will be put in place to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the specifics of these interventions have yet to be detailed. Education stakeholders and parents have expressed concerns about the potential impact of this policy change on school enrollment and retention, particularly among students from low-income families.
The Ministry has urged all affected parties to prepare for the new arrangements and has committed to providing further guidance on the implementation of this policy in the coming weeks.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions among education stakeholders. While some argue that it is a necessary adjustment in the face of budget constraints, others worry it could disadvantage learners from low-income families who may struggle to raise the required fees.
