A new report has exposed how several schools illegally charged parents millions in extra fees without approval from the Ministry of Education.
The Auditor General’s report, which analyzed more than 30 schools for the financial year ending June 2023, reveals that parents were unlawfully billed for development projects, going against government regulations.
Among the schools implicated in the report are Mang’u High School in Kiambu County, St. Mary’s Yala in Siaya, Maseno School in Kisumu, and several top girls’ schools, including Maryhill Girls in Kiambu, Moi Girls Nairobi, and Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls in Kakamega.
According to the Ministry of Education guidelines, parents should only be required to pay for school uniforms and boarding-related costs.
However, the audit uncovered that some schools introduced unauthorized charges for Parents Association (PA) support, dormitory construction, and other development projects, collecting an estimated Ksh 303.9 million.
For instance, the report reveals that Maryhill Girls School collected over Ksh 1.47 million from parents for an unauthorized capacity building program, while Moi Girls Nairobi had unexplained parent contributions amounting to Ksh 100.6 million.
The report further highlights instances where schools conducted illegal fundraising (harambees) from parents without approval.
At St. Mary’s Yala, students were required to pay Ksh 18,000 each for dormitory construction, leading to a total collection of Ksh 182 million. The funds were not properly accounted for, raising concerns of financial mismanagement.
In some cases, Board of Management (BoM) meetings approved these charges, but the ministry was not consulted.
“In the circumstances, management was in breach of the Ministry’s guidelines on charging additional fees,” the report states.
By epaper