After the government ended fee subsidies for public schools in January 2023, parents with children in secondary schools will have to pay more money.
The move will be a major setback for parents who are already feeling the effects of the current economic downturn.
Students in national and extra-county schools will be charged Ksh53,554, an increase from the current Ksh45,000.
Those with children enrolled in public secondary schools outside of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Thika, and Eldoret will pay Ksh40,000, an increase from Ksh35,000.
Parents will need to factor in additional fees ranging from Ksh5,535 to Ksh8,500 as they enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Similarly, children in Special Needs Secondary Schools will pay Ksh12,790 per year, up from Ksh10,860.
The government subsidy includes Ksh19,053 for boarding equipment and stores, as well as a top grant of Ksh12,510 to cover assertive devices and any other additional personnel required.
Previously, the government subsidized the fee parents paid in the 2021/2022 school year, despite the fact that it only had 30 weeks instead of the usual 39.
However, in accordance with the government’s free day secondary school education policy, the state will provide a Ksh22,224 subsidy for each learner in a boarding school, which is the same as the subsidy for those in a day school.
This will include tuition, for which the government allocated Ksh4,144, medical insurance Ksh2,000, Ksh1,500 for activity, and Ksh200 for strengthening mathematics and science in secondary education (SMASSE).
