Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned school heads against corruption, lack of accountability and arbitrary increase of school fees when schools re-open.

The CS equally directed head teachers to consult Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) before adjusting official school fee structure.

Prof Magoha issued the warning ahead of the re-opening of schools after a long break occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The problem with our learning institutions has been lack of accountability and corruption. It is unlawful for principals to arbitrarily charge extra fees,” he noted.

He was speaking in Kinango sub-County, Kwale, yesterday when he presented a cheque of Sh50 million gifted to Kwale Teachers’ Training College project by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and his deputy Fatuma Achani had complained to the CS that the county was sponsoring 4,800 students in national high schools which kept hiking fees.

Mvurya called on the CS to intervene saying some school heads were “undermining my county’s Sh400 million bursary programme by hiking fees”.

“We develop our bursary programme based on the official government fees structures, anything besides that can attract audit queries,” Achani noted. “It is a dilemma for the students on full bursary.”

At the same time, the CS assured leaders in the counties that the Sh1.9 billion school desks programme would benefit jua kali artisans throughout the country.

Kwale county commissioner Karuku Ngumo said Kazi Mtaani programme youth will be employed to clean and prepare schools for re-opening.

The county has built 469 early childhood development centres and employed 772 teachers.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has warned school heads against corruption, lack of accountability and arbitrary increase of school fees when schools re-open.

The CS equally directed head teachers to consult Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) before adjusting official school fee structure.

Prof Magoha issued the warning ahead of the re-opening of schools after a long break occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The problem with our learning institutions has been lack of accountability and corruption. It is unlawful for principals to arbitrarily charge extra fees,” he noted.

He was speaking in Kinango sub-County, Kwale, yesterday when he presented a cheque of Sh50 million gifted to Kwale Teachers’ Training College project by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and his deputy Fatuma Achani had complained to the CS that the county was sponsoring 4,800 students in national high schools which kept hiking fees.

Mvurya called on the CS to intervene saying some school heads were “undermining my county’s Sh400 million bursary programme by hiking fees”.

“We develop our bursary programme based on the official government fees structures, anything besides that can attract audit queries,” Achani noted. “It is a dilemma for the students on full bursary.”

At the same time, the CS assured leaders in the counties that the Sh1.9 billion school desks programme would benefit jua kali artisans throughout the country.

Kwale county commissioner Karuku Ngumo said Kazi Mtaani programme youth will be employed to clean and prepare schools for re-opening.

The county has built 469 early childhood development centres and employed 772 teachers.