Probe uncovers hidden charges, inflated fees in elite schools

The Government’s move to crack down on alleged financial mismanagement at Alliance Girls High School and governance failures has exposed how some schools are using questionable tactics to extract more money from already strained parents.

At the centre of the storm is a dramatic fee increment that saw one of Kenya’s most elite national schools raise annual charges from the Government-approved Sh53,558 to Sh120,179.

“The unauthorised fees structure was imposed without the approval of the Cabinet Secretary as required by law, and is, therefore, contrary to Section 29(2)(b) of the Basic Education Act, 2013,” said Education CS Julius Ogamba in a letter to Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Acting CEO Evaleen Mitei.

“The principal facilitated the adoption and implementation of a budget containing non-essential and unrealistic expenditure items.”

The Ministry’s investigation has placed the school’s financial practices under intense scrutiny.

An assessment by the Quality Assurance and Standards Directorate revealed that the inflated fees were driven by questionable budgetary allocations.

These included Sh16 million for annual trips, Sh13 million for prize-giving ceremonies, Sh5 million for vouchers and examiners, and Sh3 million for airtime and administrative allowances.

The most striking item was a Sh25 million budget for a five-day staff trip to Dubai, with school management tasked with bridging a Sh13 million deficit. “The Board of Management failed in its duty to guide prudent management of financial resources,” Ogamba said.

At Alliance Girls, parents pointed to the admission of over 1,400 Grade 10 students as a key factor straining facilities.

While the school may be the most high-profile case, parents and education experts say the problem is widespread across the country.

Behind official fee structures, many schools have devised what parents describe as “hidden charges”—costs not sanctioned by the Government but quietly enforced.

These include so-called motivation fees for teachers, development levies, remedial class charges, mandatory school trips, and requirements for parents to supply reams of printing paper each term.

At Alliance Girls, parents claim they were required to pay Sh55,000 per student as motivation fees, alongside Sh6,000 in development charges, significantly inflating the overall burden.

Individual replies

“Initially, I thought there would be one official communication, but we were told to respond individually. We should have been involved in decision-making before such a huge increase was agreed,” said one parent.

Investigations and parent testimonies suggest similar practices in schools across the country.

At Oloolaiser High School, parents have been asked to contribute Sh20,000 for construction projects, alongside an additional Sh4,500 per term in development fees.

“Note that the Parents Association Fund for the construction of the dining hall, ablution block and dormitory is Sh20,000. On top of that, you are required to contribute an extra Sh4,500 per term for development fees,” said a circular. Grade 10 learners are required to report with Sh49,500, said school principal Kamau P.K.

One parent recounted how fees were increased abruptly: “After admitting my son and paying Sh53,000, the school raised the fees to Sh102,000 during orientation just weeks later.”

In Chavakali High School in Vihiga County, parents report paying Sh3,500 for remedial lessons, alongside contributions for perimeter walls (Sh7,500), cabro paving (Sh7,600), and mandatory ream paper supplies.

“The only visible infrastructure development was years ago. Yet we are constantly being asked to pay more,” said John Khamasi, a parent.

In Makueni County and at Malava Boys High School, similar patterns emerge, termly charges for remedial classes, maintenance fees and development levies, all outside the official fee structure.

In Makueni County, a Cluster 1 school demands Sh5,000 as a fees top-up every term, another Sh5,000 for remedial lessons and Sh5,000 for maintenance. Malava Boys High School charges Sh5,000 for remedial classes every term, Sh5,000 in development fees annually, and requires a ream of paper each term.

Kenya’s Basic Education Act, 2013, protects parents from arbitrary charges and ensures equitable access to education, particularly under the Government’s subsidised secondary education programme.

However, experts argue that weak enforcement and limited oversight have allowed schools to bypass these regulations. “Schools have become creative in how they raise money. They rarely call it a fee increment. Instead, they introduce new levies, which effectively achieve the same outcome,” said Alfred Ouma, an education policy analyst based in Nairobi.

School administrators, however, argue that rising costs and increased enrolment have forced institutions into difficult decisions.

Student population surge

Following the transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and Government-driven expansion policies, many schools have seen student populations surge without a corresponding increase in funding. “The school says they won’t send girls home, but arrears are still treated like any other debt. You are constantly reminded, constantly pressured,” said a parent.

“We contributed towards a science lab years ago, and it is still incomplete. Where is the money going?” another parent said.

Majani Baridi, an educationist, said that by recommending disciplinary action against the principal and dissolution of the board, the Ministry of Education is sending a clear message that violations of fee regulations will not be tolerated. “These developments set a precedent that could trigger wider audits across national schools. This is not just about one school—it is about restoring accountability across the system,” said Baridi.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa said parents have long suffered, adding that the intervention would bring relief and long-term reform.

“But the bigger question remains: can the Government rein in a system where financial pressures, weak oversight and institutional autonomy have combined to create a culture of hidden charges?” he said.