The family of Maxwel Simiyu, a Form Two student at Jomo Kenyatta High School who was sent home for failure to pay school fees can now breathe a sigh of relief after Nakuru East MP Samuel Arama cleared the school fees of the 20-year old student.
A resident of Kaptembwa area, in Nakuru, Simiyu was among the 20 students who were taken to school by Education CS George Magoha who was enforcing the 100% transition from primary to high school education after the 2020 KCPE.
According to a local TV station, Arama swung into action and paid the student’s school fees balance of Ksh53,570 after his plight was highlighted in a news bulletin on Monday, September 6.
“He has been in school without any problem for the whole of last year. The problem begun when he was sent home for half term with a school fees balance of over Ksh50,000,” Timothy Mudanyi , the uncle to the Form Two student said.
Speaking at his office, the Nakuru East MP asked CS Magoha to come up wit a proper plan that will ensure students from poor backgrounds are not sent home for failure to pay school fees.
“According to the instructions given by the Education CS, no student is supposed to be sent home for failure to pay school fees. I urge the CS to come up with a proper circular and speak to headteachers so that students in the entire country can stay in school,” Arama said.
According to the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the need for basic education for all children is recognized under the Bill of Rights.
The Basic Education Act 2013 stipulates that any parent who is Kenyan or whose child resides in the country must enroll them for primary and secondary education.
In 2018, Kenya adopted the Policy on Universal Access to Basic Education. The Policy seeks to ensure that all children enroll in Primary School and complete their Secondary School Education, with a 100% transition rate.
The move towards attainment of 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary education is just one step towards attainment of universal basic education.
While speaking at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, President Kenyatta said that countries must support their populations, particularly the youth, to be productively engaged, so as to shape the future and not to fall victim to it.
The President told the Assembly about Kenya’s heavy investment in education, in an effort to achieve social inclusion, develop knowledge and competencies, and secure the future by not leaving anyone behind.
“We have achieved 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school, and free secondary school education for all day scholars” the President remarked.
