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Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has warned school principals against charging extra fees as a result of the ensuing price hike of foodstuff.

“Let no principal increase any amount of fees because we understand this term is short. We don’t intend to increase fees and neither do we intend to decrease. This term has few days and there should be a deliberate balance because the fees remains the same,” Magoha said.

He told principals there is no cause for panic because the Government capitation will be in banks starting Friday through to Monday.

“The Government will never lack funds and as such, principals should never be worried about anything. The cash will hit accounts starting Friday and latest Monday,” the CS said. Speaking at Sironga Girls School yesterday, the CS  told school managers to take advantage of the short term that started yesterday to balance their expenditures.

On CBC programmes, the CS said the government has put necessary commitment and resources to ensure that a total of 11,000 classrooms are completed before the election. 

“Our projection still remains that in the next three weeks we should be done constructing the CBC classrooms to facilitate the junior secondary programme,” Magoha noted.  Elsewhere, it was a beehive of activity in Kakamega as thousands of students returned to school.

Matatu and boda boda operators took advantage of influx in the number of travellers by raising fares.

Some secondary schools insisted that parents clear term two fees for their children upon arrival failure to which they returned them home.

 Business people also hiked prices for the various school items.

 “I have been having a huge stock of books, pens, uniforms, chalks and other stationery for a while now but I’m happy that I have cleared it all since Friday,” said Allan Tsuma, a bookshop owner in Kakamega town.

Several heads of the institutions lamented the high cost of living and rise in food prices saying it affected their operations. “We are going through tough times and that is why we implore our parents to pay up in time so that we can manage to take care of our children,” said Esther Amukwachi, the Chief Principal of St Mary’s Mumias Girls High School.

Students thronged supermarkets and bus terminals across the country as schools reopened on Tuesday for the second term of the 2022 academic year.  Nandi’s Meteitei High School Principal, Isaac Kemboi added that learners will miss out in the co-curricular aspect.

  By Evans Nyakundi, Dennis Lumiti, Gloria Sande and KNA