The Kericho High Court has directed the parents of form 4 students at Litein Boys High School to pay Ksh10,000 each to facilitate their re-admission for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. This directive comes after a dispute between the school administration and the parents over the payment of extra fees during the exam period.
The Litein Boys High School Board of Management (BOM) had initially requested between Ksh20,000 and Ksh25,000 from parents to cover the cost of essential resources required for the smooth running of the exams. According to Principal Richard Kiprotich Sang, the funds were needed to ensure students had a place to sleep, food, and access to necessary exam equipment, including computers and physics apparatus that had been damaged during recent unrest at the school.
However, a number of parents, represented by lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, challenged the high fees, citing the challenging economic conditions that made it difficult for them to raise such a large sum on short notice. They requested that the court allow the parents to pay a more manageable sum of Ksh10,000 per student, to allow their children to sit for their exams, which were scheduled to begin on October 22, 2025.
In response, Justice Joseph Sergon ruled in favor of the parents, directing that each student pay Ksh10,000 to be re-admitted, with the remaining balance of Ksh15,000 to be paid in installments over the course of the exam period. The court’s decision was made to ensure that the students were not denied the opportunity to sit for their exams, while still addressing the school’s financial needs for the examination period.
The situation at Litein Boys High School highlights ongoing tensions in the education sector, particularly concerning the financial burdens placed on parents to ensure their children can complete their studies. The court’s ruling aims to balance the financial requirements of the school with the ability of parents to pay, offering a temporary solution to an ongoing issue that could affect the future of education funding in the region.
