Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has moved to calm growing public anxiety over the reported increase in school fees ahead of the 2026 academic calendar.

Ogamba has firmly dismissed claims that parents will be required to pay an additional Ksh9,374 for learners in public secondary and senior schools in 2026.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and shared via his official social media accounts, Ogamba termed the reports “false and misleading”, insisting that there has been no increase in school fees and that public day secondary and C4 day senior school learners will continue to pay zero tuition fees.

“The Ministry of Education categorically clarifies that there has been no increase in school fees for public secondary or senior schools. Claims that school fees have been increased by KSh 9,374 are false and misleading,” Ogamba stated.

He explained that the controversial Ksh9,374 figure originates from Kenya Gazette Notice No. 1555 of 2015, which initially outlined a cost-sharing framework before the full rollout of the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme.

Under the FDSE policy, the government later removed all tuition-related financial obligations on parents, increasing its capitation to KSh 22,244 per learner per year, a position that has since been reinforced through multiple ministry circulars.

“Kenya Gazette Notice No. 1555 of 2015 established the framework for fees payable, under which parents were initially required to contribute KSh 9,374 per learner in day secondary schools, while the Government provided KSh 12,870 per learner per year. Following the full implementation of Free Day Secondary Education, the Government increased its subsidy to KSh 22,244 per learner per year and removed any financial obligation on parents for tuition, a position that was formally communicated through subsequent Ministry circulars,” the statement reads in part.

“These subsequent circulars operationalised the Gazette Notice by clearly affirming that the Government would continue to offer FDSE with zero tuition obligation on parents, while providing KSh 22,244 per learner per year as capitation to cover tuition-related vote heads.”

Boarding fees

Addressing concerns around boarding fees, the CS clarified that the approved fee ceilings remain intact and unchanged.

“With regard to boarding fees, the Gazette Notice set the maximum boarding fee ceiling of KSh 53,554, which was subsequently operationalised through Ministry circulars, including the FDSE Guidelines issued on 26th November 2019, which differentiated boarding fees by school category and location, without introducing any new charges,” Ogamba stated.

“Under the approved implementation framework, boarding schools in major urban centres charge up to KSh 53,554, all other boarding schools charge up to KSh 40,535, while special needs schools charge KSh 12,790. These amounts have remained unchanged, and no school is permitted to exceed them.”

No link between school clusters and fees

The Ministry also dismissed speculation that the recent reclassification of schools into Clusters C1–C4, following recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, had introduced new charges.

“The transition from the former classification of National, Extra-County, County, and Sub-County schools to Clusters C1-C4, as recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, is purely structural and does not introduce any new fees,” he stated.

“The Ministry has not issued any directive to County Directors of Education or school principals to increase fees. Any school charging unauthorised fees will be doing so without approval and will face appropriate administrative and disciplinary action.”

Ndindi Nyoro’s warning

Ogamba’s statement comes moments after Kiharu Member of Parliament (MP) Ndindi Nyoro issued a warning to the government over what he described as a covert move to increase school fees for day secondary school learners, cautioning that parents are already overstretched by the rising cost of living.

Speaking during a media interview on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, Nyoro claimed that an additional Ksh9,374 has already been quietly factored into January 2026 school fee structures, despite the government’s long-standing commitment to free basic education.

“The truth of the matter is that the additional Ksh9,374 has already been incorporated into the fee structures that parents are going to pay,” Nyoro said.

“If the government is testing waters on increasing school fees for day school learners, then I want to be very clear: the waters and the path are very, very slippery.”