Parents across Kenya are facing a fresh burden as the government has removed a Ksh 5 billion subsidy that used to cover national examination fees, a move that is expected to hit many households hard in the upcoming school term.
This decision marks the end of a policy that had been in place since the time of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, which helped parents by fully covering the cost of national exams for both primary and secondary students. Now, parents will be required to pay for these exams out of their own pockets.
According to the Saturday Nation, this change means that parents will now have to pay for their children’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams as well as the new Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), which will be done for the first time starting October 27th.
Front page of the Saturday Nation.
This shift comes just as many families are still struggling with the rising cost of living. With food prices going up, school requirements getting more expensive, and transport costs still high, the added cost of examination fees will only increase the pressure on already stretched household budgets.
The Kenya Kwanza administration under President William Ruto has made it clear that only students who are considered needy will be helped by the government.
The Ministry of Education has been tasked with identifying which students qualify for assistance. However, many parents are worried about how the ministry will determine who truly deserves help, and there is fear that some children might be left out unfairly. There are also concerns that corruption and favoritism could affect the process.
For the past 10 years, families had been relieved from paying exam fees, which helped ensure that every child could sit for their final assessments regardless of their financial situation.
The removal of this subsidy is therefore not just a financial issue, but one that could also affect access to education and the future of many learners in the country. Parents in rural and low-income areas are expected to suffer the most from this change, as many are already struggling with school fees, uniforms, and transport.
At a time when the economy is tough and unemployment remains high, many people feel this move is unfair and poorly timed. The government’s decision seems to ignore the real struggles that parents are going through daily. Families that can barely afford daily meals are now being asked to pay thousands of shillings for examination fees, which could lead to more dropouts and a rise in inequality in education access.
