Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has called out President William Ruto over the decision to scrap off Ksh5 billion national exam fee waiver.

Addressing a section of residents in Lurambi Constituency in Kakamega County on Saturday, May 24, 2025, the senator dismissed the decision, lamenting that several students from poor families will be forced to drop out of school.

He went on to state that with the new decision, only students from well-off families will be able to acquire education in the country, further suggesting that the government should target private schools when imposing examination fees, instead of public schools.

“Wakenya tumeamka kwa mshtuko leo, tumesoma katika vyombo vya habari kua watoto wetu ambao wanastahili kukalia mtihani ya kitaifa, serikali inazindua ile free examination. Sasa President anasema kuanzia next year, watatakiwa kulipa examination fee. President William Ruto my brother listen to me, don’t go there, watoto wa maskini will drop out of school ukihitaji walipe pesa ya mitihani,” he said.

This loosely translates to;

“We are now being told that now our children who are supposed to sit for national exams, the government has overturned the free examination policy. Now the President says that starting next year, parents should pay for examination fees. My brother, President William Ruto, listen to me, don’t go down that road. Poor people will drop out of school if they are required to pay exam fees.”

Continuing his statement, Khalwale pointed out that already, several students were facing limitations and dropping out of school due to the CBC curriculum and the new funding model, therefore, scrapping the exam fee will only worsen matters.

“Because of CBC watoto wa maskini wametoka katika shule kwa sababu ya complicated funding model watoto wa maskini wametoka university. Sasa tukiuliza maskini vile vile walipe mpihani, inamaanisha tunataka kutengeza taifa ya kusomesha matajiri pekee yao,” he said.

This loosely translates to;

“We are already in a bad place. Because of the CBC, poor children have dropped out of school, and because of the complicated university funding model, poor children have dropped out of university. Now, if we are asking the poor to also pay for exam fees, it means we are trying to create a country that educates only the rich,” he stated.

Scrapping off exam fees

Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) John Mbadi had earlier indicated plans to scrap off the waiver introduced by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration in 2015.

With the scrapping of the program aimed at enhancing the 100 percent school transition policy, the state said it will only pay fees for needy candidates, starting 2026.

“We have to review the costs in the sense that we must ask ourselves, why should we pay examination fees for all students? You see, in 2026, Kenya is projected to have approximately 3 million students sitting for their national examinations, around 1.2 million anticipated to sit for KIPSEA, and over 960,000 for KCSE,” CS Mbadi said.

“If your child is learning in a private school where you pay Ksh300,000, Ksh1 million in a year, honestly, can’t you pay Ksh5,000 for the examination fee for that child? Why should you force, make Kenyans, taxpayers, some of whom can barely eke a living, to pay an examination fee for your child?”