Starting next year, parents will begin paying examination fees for national exams, marking the end of a decade-long government waiver, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has confirmed. The government will, however, cover the costs for all 2024 candidates.
Mbadi announced that the decision was driven by rising budget deficits and competing priorities in the education sector. “It is unsustainable to continue funding exams for all learners, including those in private schools,” he said, adding that only students from vulnerable households should benefit from government subsidies.
Introduced in 2016 under then Education CS Fred Matiang’i, the exam fee waiver ensured that no student missed the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) or Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) due to financial constraints. Currently, the government pays Sh7,200 per candidate.
However, with growing enrollment and a projected Sh91.8 billion education sector deficit, the Parliamentary Budget Office recommended ending the waiver. The proposed model will introduce a cost-sharing mechanism, potentially saving Sh5 billion annually. Though no official fee structure has been announced, Mbadi hinted at parents paying about Sh5,000 per child.
He emphasized that free basic education would still be upheld, but those who can afford to pay should do so. “If I, as a CS, can afford to educate my child, why should the government pay for their examination?” he questioned.
In a related effort to reduce costs, Mbadi revealed plans to start printing national examinations locally. The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) currently prints papers abroad to protect their integrity, costing up to Sh1.5 billion annually. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, this cost doubled due to dual exam sessions.
Printing exams locally, as recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, could significantly cut costs. Mbadi suggested using secure local facilities like the Government Printer and stressed the need for robust security protocols to prevent exam leaks.
“We don’t have unlimited resources. Let’s manage examination costs efficiently without compromising quality and integrity,” he concluded.
