There is growing public outrage as more schools get exposed for charging illegal fees and levies, in violation of government regulations on free and affordable education.
Reports emerging from various parts of the country indicate that several school administrations have been demanding additional payments from parents, despite clear guidelines prohibiting unauthorized charges.
The fees, often disguised as development, activity, or maintenance levies, have placed a heavy burden on many families already struggling with the high cost of living.
Parents have expressed frustration, accusing some school heads of exploiting loopholes in the system.
“We are being forced to pay money that is not officially required. It is becoming too much,” said one concerned parent.
The development follows a recent expose at Alliance Girls High School where its Principal Margaret Njeru has been recommended by for TSC disciplinary action after increasing fee from the approved Ksh.53,558 to a staggering Ksh.120,179, thereby imposing a burden on parents and guardians.
Parents have paraded fee structures from different schools to expose corruption by school managements.
At Mangu High School parents are charged sh 99,627 as annual fee against the Ministry authorized figure.
In first term parents pay sh 26,767, second term sh 45,923 and third term sh 26,037 thus exceeding the authorized fee limit by far.
At Limuru Girls High School parents are paying a total of sh 98,236 as school fees each year.
The amount is spread as sh 41,673 in first term, sh 30,960 in second term and sh 25,603 in third term.
At Kenya High School parents pay heftily with the school administration accused of hiding a full year fee structure from parents.
Second term alone parents pay around sh 52,092. Parents claim to pay upto sh 110,000 with extra charges disguised as water, electricity and other unspecified costs.
Musingu High School has also been mentioned adversely for adding an extra yolk to the already burdened parents.
Despite caping the annual fee at sh 53,554, parents are still required to pay other levies which amount to thousands of shillings.
For example parents are required to pay sh 10,000 for P.A projects besides sh 6,000 motivation funds, sh 5,000 for creative and applied subjects.
Parents are also required to pay for students welfare, students shaving among other costs.
At Gingo Mixed Secondary School in Homa Bay parents took to the streets to protests an illegal levy of sh 7,000 by the school administration.
Education CS Julius Ogamba has promised to continue with the purge warning schools of dire consequences.
Ogamba said the continued imposition of illegal charges threatens to undermine access to education, particularly for learners from low-income households.
He said schools must strictly adhere to the approved fee structures and warned that those violating the rules risk facing disciplinary action.
As investigations continue, pressure is mounting on the education sector to address the issue and restore public confidence in the system.