CS Ogamba: Sub-county day school students should not pay fees
By Faith Lagat, January 22, 2026Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has clarified that learners placed in C4 schools are not required to pay any school fees, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure a full transition to senior secondary education under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
C4 schools are classified as sub-county day institutions under the revised senior school clusters ranging from C1 to C4. These schools fall under the Free Day Secondary Education programme, with tuition fully covered by the government.
This differs from higher clusters, where parents are required to contribute to boarding and other costs, with C1 schools charging about Ksh 53,554 annually, C2 schools Ksh 45,054, and C3 schools Ksh 40,035.
The C4 category is designed to enhance access and equity by allowing learners to attend schools within their local communities without tuition costs.
C4 schools and fee policy
Speaking in an interview on January 21, 2026, Ogamba addressed concerns surrounding learners who have yet to report to school following Grade 10 placement.
“Students admitted to C4 schools are not supposed to pay school fees,” he said, noting that financial demands should not be a barrier for learners assigned to these institutions.
The CS said the ministry is keen to establish why some learners placed in tuition-free schools have not reported, despite the absence of school fees. He indicated that understanding these gaps is key to ensuring no learner is left behind during the transition to senior secondary education.
Ground-level analysis underway
Ogamba said the ministry is undertaking a detailed assessment to determine reporting levels and the challenges facing learners who are yet to enroll.
“We are going to conduct an analysis to determine those who have reported to school and those who have not, and to establish the reasons why some have not reported,” he explained.
He added that the exercise involves teams deployed across the country. “After today, as I’ve indicated, we’ll do an analysis tomorrow to find out who has not gone to school,” Ogamba said.
“And as I said, at that point, because the teams that we’ve sent to the ground are not only finding out who has not gone, but they’re also finding out why that person has not gone to school and what is missing.”
Addressing individual challenges
Ogamba said the number of such cases is expected to be small. “And once we determine that and anticipate this number to be very small after today, then as a ministry we would see what strategic intervention to do in terms of policy or in terms of financial support to assist those ones to be able to go to school,” he stated.
Reaffirming the government’s target, Ogamba said, “Because we have the bottom line, which is this, it is going to be a 100% transition.”