MPs probe national schools over illegal fee hikes to fund '5-star' student menus

National Assembly Pubic Investment Committee on Governance and Education Chairman Luanda MP Dick Maungu during committee sitting at Parliament on September 15, 2026. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Auditor-General reports on national secondary schools have continually exposed how institutions charge unauthorized fees above government-mandated caps, with emerging evidence showing that much of the money goes toward funding lavish student diets.

Appearing before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, another cohort of school principals was hard-pressed to justify charging extra levies to finance improved meal programs.

The committee warned that school heads must strictly comply with the law, even when under pressure from parents to provide better diets, describing the situation as a delicate balancing act for school administrators.

The scrutiny revealed that parents in several national schools are opting to pay extra fees to maintain "special" menus for their children, raising fresh concerns over the spiraling cost of education.

Chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, the committee raised these queries while examining Auditor-General reports spanning the 2020/2021 to 2024/2025 financial years. Meru School and Ikuu Boys High School were among the institutions whose accounts were scrutinized.

Meru School Chief Principal Rutere Mwenda defended his institution's enhanced menu, introduced in 2021, which includes eggs, sausages, bread, tea, rice, lentils, beef, and matumbo (tripe).

“We include things like eggs and sausages in our meals. Three days a week they have eggs, and four days they have sausages. They also have tea and bread every morning. For supper, they have ugali and beef, with matumbo served on two days,” Mwenda explained.

Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje contrasted the menu with traditional school meals, noting that changing parental expectations have created a major hurdle for the government’s school-feeding policy.

“I went to Alliance High School, and we never came close to this kind of menu. It reflects how things have changed. Parents want their children to eat well, and we cannot stand in the way of what they want for their children,” Mwenje remarked.

He nevertheless urged the committee to engage the Education Cabinet Secretary, acknowledging that parental demands have outstripped the government's official fee guidelines.

According to the audit report, Meru School irregularly increased fees by KSh 21,446 for Forms 1 to 3 students and KSh 24,290 for Form 4 students during the period under review without approval from the Ministry of Education, in breach of Regulation 45 of the Basic Education Regulations, 2015.

Mwenda told lawmakers the school levied an extra KSh 10,000 for dormitory construction and another KSh 10,000 annually to plug a deficit created by the enhanced meals. He argued that the improved diet maintained student satisfaction, keeping unrest at bay.

“Once they are contented, there is a correlation between the performance and contentment of these students. When other schools were going on strike last term, we remained in school throughout without any issues,” he argued, adding that the school even faced student resistance when it attempted to switch sausage brands.

Committee Chairman Maungu stated that the revelations point to an urgent need for a broader national discussion on school-feeding standards and educational affordability.

“We have transitioned to a five-star hotel menu. There is a need for a sober discussion on whether the fees charged in schools reflect the realities of our times,” Maungu noted, while firmly directing that no student should be sent home for unpaid illegal levies.

At Ikuu Boys High School, Chief Principal Morris Thigaa similarly defended additional charges introduced to meet operational expenses and sustain an upgraded diet demanded by parents. Audit records revealed the school collected KSh 84.36 million in unapproved parent contributions over the review period, including KSh 12.68 million in Parents Association (PA) levies.

The audit cited the school for failing to secure written approval from the Cabinet Secretary as required under Section 29(1)(b) of the Basic Education Act, 2013.

Principal Thigaa acknowledged the violation, explaining that the school had formally written to the Ministry seeking approval but received no response.

“The additional needs were introduced to meet specific operational requirements. Parents also insisted on improving the diets of their children, including retaining the special menu of eggs and sausages,” Thigaa said, describing his school's menu—featuring daily bread, sausages once a week, eggs, and regular meat—as modest compared to Meru School’s.

Lungalunga MP Chiforomondo Mangale questioned why the school implemented unapproved charges, warning that illegal levies lock out poor children.

“You mentioned that you wrote to the Ministry to seek approval, which did not come. Why did you go ahead and implement what had not been approved?” Mangale posed. “Kenyan education is becoming very expensive because of unapproved fees, levies, and other costs. Let us think about the poor child whose only hope of escaping poverty is education. We should not push such children out by adding exorbitant amounts.”

Thigaa clarified that the school does not send needy students home, relying instead on sponsors, income-generating farm projects, and an internal welfare initiative dubbed “Ikuu for Ikuu” to clear fee balances for vulnerable learners.

Concluding the session, Chairman Maungu directed that all schools align their catering programs with statutory regulations.

“If you want to give students sausages, eggs, or other additional meals, you must follow the prescribed regulations. Any levies imposed outside the approved structure are illegal,” Maungu insisted, pledging that Parliament will push the Ministry of Education to review whether existing fee caps match current economic realities.