Parents school cost shocker as MPs plan to end exam fee waiver

Parents with Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates could soon be forced to shoulder part of the cost of exam registration as Parliament considers scrapping the full waiver introduced in 2016. 

The proposed shift, contained in a document by the Parliament Budget Office (PBO) which advises Parliament on budget matters, would see a cost-sharing model implemented, ending a decade-old policy that had eased the financial strain on thousands of families.

The waiver, championed by former Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, was intended to ensure that no student missed their final exams due to lack of registration fees. 

Currently, the government covers the entire Sh7,200 registration fee per candidate, but under the new model, parents will be required to contribute some portion.

While the exact cost breakdown remains unclear, the government argues that the waiver is unsustainable amid rising student enrollment with only three cohorts left to the end of KCSE examinations as the 8-4-4 curriculum folds.

According to the proposal, the shift that might puncture the ambitions of a substantial number of learners, especially from poor backgrounds, is necessary since the education sector budget deficit now stands at Sh91.8 billion for the 2024/25 financial year. 

Officials estimate that scrapping full coverage of registration fees will free up Sh5 billion annually, redirecting funds to other educational priorities.

“Currently, the government provides funds to cater for examination costs for all learners sitting for national examinations. Due to the increasing enrolment levels, the government usually struggles to meet the entire cost on time, resulting in huge budget deficits at the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). To address this, the government should develop a government-guardian cost-sharing approach for households to absorb this cost,” the proposal reads.

But National Assembly Education Committee chairman Julius Melly has rejected the proposal to have parents pay exams fees.
He said the move goes against the spirit of easing the burden on parents who are already weighed down by the cost of living.
“I do not support the proposal. Let it go on record that it is a wrong move that must he defeated. And we shall reject it. We removed the burden from parents and it must remain so,” Melly said, adding:
“In any case, we have a few years left to the end of KCSE. And so we cannot bring back this burden to parents.”

This move, if implemented, is expected to have far-reaching consequences as low-income households, already struggling with school fees and the high cost of living, may find it difficult to afford exam registration costs.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa argues that the proposal could lead to increased dropout rates and disparities in access to education, undermining the government’s pledge of free and compulsory basic education.

“This is madness. There has been no consultation or alternative to those who will not be able to pay for their registration. Are we saying candidates in these families will not get the chance to take their examination?” Obuhatsa asked.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) also warned that such a shift could reverse gains made in ensuring universal exam access. 

“The government should explore alternative funding solutions rather than pushing the burden onto parents who are already grappling with multiple financial obligations,” KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nturima.