From January 2026, boarding senior secondary schools across Kenya will have an annual fixed charge of KSh 53,000, ending the long-serving system where each school determined its own fee structure.
The new directive from the Ministry of Education, issued on Tuesday, November 4, sets a change towards a standard model that abolishes previous categorization according to infrastructure or school location.
According to the ministry, the reviewed guidelines were part of the government’s effort to ensure fairness and transparency in the country’s education system at a time when the new senior school structure under the Competency-Based Curriculum is about to take effect.
The circular reads in part that, “All senior secondary schools will now operate under a uniform fee structure. Any school wishing to levy additional charges must first seek written approval from the Ministry”.
The new framework will categorize institutions as either public or private and further as boarding, day, or hybrid schools. Each school will also be obliged to give a breakdown of the fees at the beginning of every term, showing tuition, meal, and boarding fees.
Besides, the schools are supposed to declare only official channels of fee collection and also send prior notifications to the parents regarding payment timelines in order to avoid irregular levies and unapproved charges.
The ministry has also released the new timetable for senior school learners. Students in Grade 10 will study seven subjects that comprise core courses like English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, and Community Service Learning, alongside three subjects from their chosen career pathway.
Learners will attend eight lessons per day of about 40 minutes each, with at least 40 lessons per week.
On safety, the government has directed boarding institutions not to release unaccompanied students after 9 a.m. to ensure proper supervision and learner welfare.
The new guidelines also call for tighter financial accountability. Schools will now be required to set up audit committees that will oversee expenditure and ensure that funds are prudently spent.
These changes have been welcomed by education stakeholders, who note that a uniform fee structure eases the burden on parents while bringing more consistency to the education system.
