The Ministry of Education has unveiled sweeping interventions aimed at easing mounting pressure around the transition of learners to senior secondary schools, following growing public concern and a directive from President William Ruto to remove financial barriers to access.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Thursday, January 22, announced that all Grade 10 learners must be admitted to their respective senior secondary schools immediately, regardless of whether school fees have been paid. In a further effort to smooth the transition, Ogamba said students who have not yet acquired senior school uniforms will be allowed to report in their junior school attire.
“All learners shall be admitted to their respective senior schools without any condition as to the payment of school fees,” Ogamba said, directing principals to optimise the use of capitation funds already disbursed by the government.
The CS also instructed senior and junior school heads to urgently submit details of learners who had not been admitted by January 21, 2026. He added that school administrators must work closely with Sub-County Directors of Education and National Government Administration Officers to trace affected learners and ensure their prompt admission.
In another major policy shift, Ogamba ordered the immediate scrapping of admission fees in all public senior secondary schools, reiterating that the law prohibits the exclusion of any child from a public school. He cited Section 34(5) of the Basic Education Act, 2013, which guarantees every child the right to education.
Ogamba warned that any school found flouting the new directives would face legal consequences, urging parents and the public to report cases of non-compliance to education offices or local administration authorities.
The announcement followed closely on President Ruto’s directive issued earlier in the day during the Nyota Capital Disbursement event in Meru County, where he expressed concern that many learners were missing out on school due to unpaid fees and lack of uniforms. The President ordered local administrators and parents to ensure all children report to school without delay.
The measures come amid widespread anxiety among parents and learners, as hundreds of students across the country grapple with placement challenges, high costs of uniforms, and extra charges imposed by some schools. In extreme cases, families reported being asked to pay up to Ksh40,000 for uniforms and bedding, forcing many high-performing students to abandon opportunities to join national and extra-county schools due to financial constraints.