Basic Education PS John Lekakeny Ololtuaa has called for collective responsibility to tame school unrest, even as school heads pushed for an urgent review of fees.
Speaking at the 49th KCB/KESSHA Annual Conference in Mombasa, Ololtuaa said the Ministry was strengthening guidance, counselling and mental health support in schools and urged religious leaders to help parents reclaim their disciplinary role.
The PS said student conduct would be monitored alongside fingerprint records, which could later count in job applications, an incentive he believes would encourage early discipline.
“It is achievable, but only if we build a society founded on morals and patriotism,” he said, adding that instilling national pride early could help curb arson and unrest in schools.
“What we are seeing in our schools must end. It must stop,” Ololtuaa said, calling on parents, students and communities to unite and take a collective responsibility
The PS, himself a former teacher, termed his recent posting to the Ministry from the earlier docket in Tourism, as a homecoming and thanked President Dr. William Ruto for the appointment, conveying greetings from Education CS Julius Ogamba, who will close the conference on Friday.
Ololtuaa commended school heads for steering CBE, saying the Ministry had distributed over Sh8.4 million Grade 10 textbooks. He said they had inherited teacher shortage had been cut by the employment of about 100,000 tutors in the recent past.
Kenya Senior Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) National Chairman Willie Kuria said the fees guideline issued through a Ministry circular dated March 4, 2015, has never been revised, even as school operating costs have risen sharply.
“The school fees framework established in 2015 has not been reviewed, despite the significant escalation in the cost of essential goods and services,” Kuria said.
He told the over 7000 delegates that prices for common school items have risen by 65.3 percent between 2015 and 2026, while the shilling has weakened by 43 percent against the US dollar.
He noted a unit-cost analysis of running a school for a year points to proposed fees of about Sh87,781 for C1 schools, Sh83,622 for C2/C3 schools, and Sh7,675 for C4 day schools, after deducting the capitation grant.
Kuria said capitation, last adjusted in 2018 to Sh22,244 per learner, has not kept pace with inflation or the cost of delivering CBE, which now requires specialised teachers and equipment most schools lack.
He noted that disbursement has also been inconsistent, with schools owed more than Sh22.5 billion in 2025 and only 56 percent of 2026 funds having been released so far against an 80 percent target.
The KESSHA head also raised concern over the Grade 10 textbook shortage for learners transitioning to Senior School, calling for wider consultation on standardizing school uniforms and a multi-sectoral approach involving schools, parents, religious institutions and government agencies to address student unrest.
“We remain hopeful that together we can identify sustainable solutions that promote discipline, learner well-being and a conducive learning environment,” Kuria told the gathering, urging the Ministry to give the proposals thoughtful consideration.
By Ramadhan Nassib and Joan Kinuthia
