The Ministry of Education has initiated disciplinary action against Alliance Girls High School Principal Margaret Njeru over an illegal school fee hike far beyond the approved limit.
Ms. Njeru is accused of hiking school fees from the recommended Sh53,558 to Sh120,179 without the required legal approval.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has formally written to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), directing it to commence disciplinary proceedings against Ms. Njeru.
“The unauthorized fees structure was imposed without the approval of the Cabinet Secretary as by law required and is therefore contrary to Section 29(2)(b) of the Basic Education Act, 2013,” read part of the statement by CS Julius Ogamba.
The CS also called for further investigations into the conduct of the Alliance Girls High School board, over alleged funds mismanagement.
According to findings by the Ministry Quality Assurance team that investigated the institution, the school reportedly spent Sh16 million on trips, Sh13 million on prize-giving ceremonies and speeches, Sh5 million on prize vouchers, Sh3 million on airtime and administrative allowances, and Sh1 million on moral and spiritual activities.
The ministry said such spending was unjustifiable and raised concerns over financial accountability, insisting that the board must be compelled to explain why the expenditures were approved.
“We are working with other stakeholders in the education sector, including the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), to ensure teachers who disregard directives from the ministry don’t go unpunished. We’ll amend the TSC Act to streamline the disciplinary process so that there are no technicalities to shield anyone,” said Ogamba.
The disciplinary action comes amid ongoing complaints from parents over rising fees in public schools, with the ministry reiterating that all public institutions must strictly comply with the annual fee guidelines.
Under the rules, schools seeking to introduce additional levies are required to obtain written approval from the Cabinet Secretary through the County Education Board (CEB).
According to the guidelines issued in November last year, senior school learners enrolled in boarding schools are required to pay Sh53,554 annually, depending on their institution’s cluster.
“The school fees to be charged for all categories of boarding school shall, for the time being, remain at Sh53,554.00 as per the Gazette Notice No. 1555 of 10th March 2015,” reads part of the ministry directive.
Former national schools, now categorized as Cluster 1 (C1) institutions, are required to charge Sh53,554 per year. Extra-county schools, classified as Cluster 2 (C2), are expected to charge Sh45,054 annually, while county schools—now Cluster 3 (C3)—should charge Sh40,035 per year.
Learners admitted to Cluster 4 (C4) schools, formerly sub-county institutions, will continue to benefit from free secondary education under the government’s programme.
The ministry reiterated that schools must observe transparency in fee collection, maintaining that parents must be notified in advance about fee deadlines.
Additionally, institutions are required to designate official payment channels to avoid irregular transactions, and all payments must be issued with official receipts indicating the amount paid, the date, and the purpose of the payment.
Also Read: 73pc of all Grade 3 learners can’t do basic Math; 59pc can’t read basic English
