Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
A school fee structure can look simple until you try to work out what you will actually pay in a year. Items appear under different names, some charges are per term and others once only, and private schools often add deposits and levies. This guide explains how to read a Kenyan school fee structure line by line, using examples from structures schools have published.
On this page
1. Check whose document it is
A genuine fee structure is on the school’s letterhead, shows the year (for example 2026 or 2026–27), and is signed or stamped. Our fees tracker only includes structures the school itself published, with the year and source on each page.
2. Separate tuition from everything else
Most structures split costs into tuition and other items such as meals, transport, activities, insurance and boarding. Light International School Karen, for example, lists tuition and “non-tuition” charges separately for each term in its 2026–27 structure. Add the lines you will actually use.
3. Per term, per year, or once
- Termly fees are usually listed for Terms 1, 2 and 3. They are not always equal; some schools charge more in Term 1.
- Annual fees may be printed, or you may need to add the three terms yourself.
- One-off charges include application, registration, admission and refundable or non-refundable deposits. Pink Tower International School, for instance, lists separate non-refundable charges of KSh 20,000 and KSh 10,000 alongside termly tuition.
4. Instalment patterns
Some schools bill exam years differently. A school may charge the final year in two larger payments instead of three terms. The total may be the same, but you need the cash at once. Plan instalments with the fee calendar.
5. Public schools: the gazetted ceiling
For public senior boarding schools, the Ministry sets maximum fees. Under Gazette Notice 1449 of 2026 the ceiling is KSh 53,554 or KSh 40,535 a year depending on the school’s approved category, split 50:30:20 across the terms. If a public school’s structure is higher, ask which approved levies explain the difference. See senior school fees 2026.
6. What is not on the structure
Uniforms, shoes, books, stationery, pocket money, trips and transport at the start and end of term are often missing. The admission letter usually lists required items separately; copy them into the reporting-list builder to price them.
7. Payment channels
Pay only into the bank account or paybill printed on the official structure. Never pay a personal number, and keep every receipt.
A worked example
Suppose a structure lists tuition of KSh 100,000 per term, lunch of KSh 12,000 per term and a one-off admission fee of KSh 15,000. Year one costs (100,000 + 12,000) × 3 + 15,000 = KSh 351,000. Year two, without the admission fee, costs KSh 336,000 before any annual increase. These numbers are illustrative only.
Questions to ask the school
- Is this the current year’s structure?
- Which items are optional?
- What is refundable, and when?
- How much have fees risen in recent years?
Sources
- Published 2026–27 fee structures of Light International School Karen and Pink Tower International School, as compiled on CBC Guides
- Gazette Notice 1449 of 2026
CBC Guides is independent and not affiliated with any school.