Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has recommended disciplinary action against Margaret Njeru, the principal of Alliance Girls High School, over an unauthorised increase in school fees.
According to Ogamba, an assessment conducted by the Ministry of Education found that the school raised fees from the approved Sh53,558 to Sh120,179 without the required approval. The move, he noted, placed an unfair financial burden on parents and guardians.
In a letter addressed to Acting Teachers Service Commission CEO Evaleen Mitei, the CS stated that the revised fee structure violated Section 29(2)(b) of the Basic Education Act, 2013, which requires approval before any fee adjustments are made in public schools.
“The unauthorised fees structure was imposed without the approval of the Cabinet Secretary as by law required, and is therefore unlawful,” Ogamba stated.
Further findings indicated that the principal oversaw the adoption and implementation of a budget containing what the ministry termed non-essential and unrealistic expenditure items, raising additional concerns about financial management at the institution.
In a separate communication to Regional Director of Education Sabina Aroni, the CS revealed that the Ministry’s Quality Assurance and Standards Directorate had recommended the dissolution of the school’s Board of Management.
The case now awaits action from the Teachers Service Commission, which is expected to determine the appropriate disciplinary measures as scrutiny intensifies over compliance with education regulations in public schools.
