Last reviewed: 18 October 2026
Crystal Hill Academy is a private mixed day and boarding school at Sondu, on the Kisumu–Kisii road. The school describes itself as being in Kericho County and says it was established in 2004. It teaches the CBC (CBE) curriculum and runs a Junior School for Grades 7 to 9. The school’s 2026 Junior School admission letter (PDF) contains the fee structure, uniform prices, requirements and school routine. Every figure below comes from that letter, and this page is accurate as of October 2026.
The letter told new Grade 7 learners to report on 12 January 2026, and asks for the primary school head teacher to endorse it.
On this page
Junior School Fees 2026 (Grades 7–9), KSh
| Item | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School fees, Grades 7–9 | 35,000 | 25,000 | 20,000 | 80,000 |
| Mock fee | 2,000 | – | – | 2,000 |
| Bread fee | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 4,500 |
| Total | 38,500 | 26,500 | 21,500 | 86,500 |
The fee falls each term, so Term 1 carries about 45% of the year’s bill. The letter gives one fee for all of Grades 7–9 and does not list day and boarding fees separately. Because the same pack includes a boarding list and a boarders’ routine, ask the school whether this figure covers boarding for your child, and what a day learner pays.
Fees must be paid at the start of each term into the school’s bank account.
Charges for New Admissions, KSh
- Interview fee: 2,000
- Admission fee: 5,000
- Development fee: 5,000
- One ream of photocopying paper per year, for topical examinations
These apply to newly admitted learners, on top of the termly fees.
Uniform Prices, KSh
All uniform is sold at the school, and the letter says uniform bought elsewhere will not be accepted. Socks are KSh 200 a pair at the school.
| Boys | KSh | Girls | KSh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pair of school shirts | 1,200 | Two skirts | 2,000 |
| Long trouser | 1,000 | Pair of school blouses | 1,200 |
| School short | 900 | Sweater | 1,000 |
| Sweater | 1,000 | Tie | 200 |
| Blue jumper | 2,000 | Track suit | 2,000 |
| T-shirt | 600 | Navy blue jumper | 2,000 |
| Tie | 200 | T-shirt | 600 |
| Track suit | 2,000 | P.E./games short | 600 |
| P.E./games short | 600 | Weekend dress | 1,000 |
| Weekend short | 700 | ||
| Weekend shirt | 600 | ||
| Total | 10,800 | Total | 10,600 |
What Boarders Bring
The list is the same for boys and girls apart from colours: a strong lockable metal box and two padlocks, black leather shoes, two cotton bed sheets (dark blue for boys, pink for girls), two blankets, a three-inch mattress, a basin or bucket, slippers, sports shoes (blue or black Bata Bullets), toilet paper, three bars of soap and 1 kg of powder soap, three bathing soaps (Dettol or Protex), black shoe polish, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a giant-size body oil, a mosquito net and a bed cover. Boys need two pairs of dark blue knee-high socks with light blue stripes, and girls three pairs of white and blue striped knee-high socks. Everything must be named, and civilian clothes are not allowed.
Pocket money is KSh 500 for the whole term and must be deposited with the school clerk. Apart from fruit and milk (at most one box), no extra food is allowed.
Books and Stationery
Each learner brings a Good News Bible, pens, pencils and erasers, brown paper, cello tape and glue for covering books, a Kamusi (Karne ya 21), the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (8th edition), an atlas (360 or Moran), an Oxford mathematical set and a spring file. The course books are mainly Oxford titles, with KLB Top Scholar supplementaries, across Mathematics, Kiswahili, English, CRE, Integrated Science, Agriculture and Nutrition, Pre-Technical Studies, Creative Arts and Sports, and Social Studies. Set texts listed are Mshale wa Matumaini, Mji wa Matarajio, Uteuzi wa Chale and Daughter of Nature.
Daily Life
The weekday routine runs from a 5:00 am wake-up to lights out at 9:00 pm, with morning, evening and personal study sessions. Classes also run on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Monthly assessments are compulsory. Meals follow a fixed weekly menu (tea and bread at breakfast and break, with ugali, rice, beans, githeri, green grams, kales and meat or eggs at lunch and supper). The letter says the school does not provide a special diet, but also that learners on a special diet pay an extra KSh 3,000 a term. If your child needs one, agree the arrangement with the school in writing.
How to Pay
- Absa Bank, Kisii branch: account 1227438.
- KCB, Sondu branch: account 1108276598.
- Paybill 522533, account 7583933#name&grade (no spaces), Crystal Hill Academy.
The same page also says “strictly no M-Pesa payment”. It probably means no payments to personal M-Pesa numbers rather than a ban on the listed paybill, but phone the school (0713 535 542 or 0722 494 716) to confirm before you pay.
A First-Year Example
A new Grade 7 boy in 2026 would pay 86,500 in fees + 2,000 interview + 5,000 admission + 5,000 development + 10,800 uniform = KSh 109,300, before shoes, bedding, books and personal items. This is our arithmetic.
How It Compares
Public junior schools are funded through capitation and charge day learners no tuition (JSS fees and capitation). Among western Kenya private junior schools, compare The Nambale Magnet School in Busia (KSh 110,000 a year, boarding included) and Makini Junior School Kisumu City (day). See the fees hub for every school we have checked, and our guide to hidden CBC costs for what to budget beyond fees.
Sources
- Crystal Hill Junior Secondary School, Admission Letter 2026, including JSS Fee Structure and School Uniform for the Year 2026 (PDF), accessed 18 October 2026.
- Crystal Hill Academy, school website (location and history), accessed 18 October 2026.