Last reviewed: 18 October 2026
Light International School (LIS) Nairobi – Karen is a private Cambridge International school running from Kindergarten to A Level. It is part of the Light Group of Schools, which also runs LIS Primary in Lavington, LIS Kindergarten on Lenana Road, LIS campuses in Mombasa and Malindi, and the CBE Light Academy schools. Its 2026–2027 fee and exam fee structure (PDF) is the source for every figure below. This page is accurate as of October 2026.
LIS follows the Cambridge curriculum and uses Year groups, not CBC grades. If you want the group’s CBE school, see Light Academy Nairobi fees.
On this page
How LIS Bills: Three Unequal Terms
LIS charges different amounts each term. For every termly fee, Term 1 is 38% of the year, Term 2 is 36% and Term 3 is 26%. Budget for the heaviest bill at the start of the school year. Years 9, 11, 12 and 13 are billed over two terms only (Term 1 and Term 2). Annual totals in the tables are our additions; we checked each one against the termly figures.
Kindergarten (KG 1–3), KSh
| Fee | Term I | Term II | Term III | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 227,240 | 215,280 | 155,480 | 598,000 |
| Non-tuition | 71,972 | 68,184 | 49,244 | 189,400 |
Primary (Years 1–6), KSh
| Fee | Term I | Term II | Term III | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition, Years 1–2 | 317,300 | 300,600 | 217,100 | 835,000 |
| Tuition, Years 3–4 | 385,700 | 365,400 | 263,900 | 1,015,000 |
| Tuition, Years 5–6 | 500,840 | 474,480 | 342,680 | 1,318,000 |
| Non-tuition, Years 1–6 | 87,134 | 82,548 | 59,618 | 229,300 |
Tuition rises by about 30% from Years 3–4 to Years 5–6. That is a bigger step than the move into secondary.
Secondary (Years 7–10), KSh
| Fee | Term I | Term II | Term III | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition, Years 7–8 | 541,880 | 513,360 | 370,760 | 1,426,000 |
| Tuition, Year 10 | 574,560 | 544,320 | 393,120 | 1,512,000 |
| Non-tuition, Years 7, 8, 10 | 103,740 | 98,280 | 70,980 | 273,000 |
| Boarding, Year 10 | 353,780 | 335,160 | 242,060 | 931,000 |
Year 9 and Years 11–13 (Two Terms), KSh
| Fee | Term I | Term II | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition, Year 9 | 756,000 | 756,000 | 1,512,000 |
| Boarding, Year 9 | 465,500 | 465,500 | 931,000 |
| Non-tuition, Year 9 | 136,500 | 136,500 | 273,000 |
| Tuition, Year 11 | 756,000 | 756,000 | 1,512,000 |
| Tuition, Years 12–13 | 864,000 | 864,000 | 1,728,000 |
| Boarding, Years 11–13 | 426,000 | 426,000 | 852,000 |
| Non-tuition, Years 11–13 | 122,200 | 122,200 | 244,400 |
Year 9 costs the same over a year as Year 10 (tuition, boarding and non-tuition all match), only paid in two instalments. Boarding is listed for Years 9 to 13; the sheet shows no boarding fee for Years 7 and 8.
Charges at Admission and Once a Year, KSh
| Charge | Who pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Interview fee | Kindergarten | 2,000 |
| Interview fee | Primary, Secondary, AS and A Level | 5,000 |
| Admission fee | All classes | 32,000 |
| Caution fee | All classes | 50,000 |
| Boarding caution fee | Boarders | 30,000 |
| Annual service fee | KG 1–2 / KG 3 | 29,850 / 39,850 |
| Annual service fee | Years 1–5 / Year 6 | 47,700 / 60,700 |
| Annual service fee | Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 | 57,700 |
| Annual service fee | Years 11 and 13 | 45,700 |
The school describes the annual service fee and the termly non-tuition fee as compulsory. The non-tuition fee covers certain co-curricular activities and student services; optional activities, trips, exams and special programmes may be charged separately. Uniforms are not included.
Cambridge Exam Fees 2026–2027, KSh
- Year 6 Checkpoint: 10,000 registration plus 13,000 per subject (Mathematics, Science, English and Global Perspectives).
- Year 9 Checkpoint: 12,000 registration plus 15,000 per subject (same four subjects).
- Year 11 IGCSE: 36,000 registration; 24,000 per subject; Global Perspectives 30,000; 24,000 per practical; Cambridge ICE entry 9,000.
- Years 12–13 AS and A Level: 36,000 registration; 29,000 per subject; Global Perspectives 34,000 (40,000 for a combined Year 12 and 13 entry); 24,000 per practical.
- Edexcel Art: 16,000 at GCSE, 42,000 at International A Level.
- BTEC Business and Technology: 144,000 a year assessment fee, Years 12–13.
- A KNEC fee of KSh 3,000 or 7,500 per candidate is added, depending on the exam level.
Exam fees for Years 11–13 must be paid in Term 1, by the end of November. Exam registration does not go ahead while any school fee balance is outstanding. The figures can be adjusted for subject choices, exchange rates and changes in board charges.
As an example, a Year 11 candidate taking seven IGCSEs, none of them Global Perspectives and none with practicals, would pay 36,000 + 7 × 24,000 = KSh 204,000 in exam fees, plus the KNEC fee. This is our arithmetic.
Payment Terms and Discounts
- All fees are due in full at least 15 days before each term starts, in Kenya shillings. Invoices are issued annually.
- A 5% monthly surcharge applies to any balance.
- New students pay a non-refundable commitment fee of at least 50% of the first term’s fees to reserve a place. The full term is required if registration is less than three weeks before the term.
- Sibling discount on tuition across the Light Group: 5% for the 2nd child, 10% for the 3rd, 15% for the 4th and later.
- Dropping boarding or withdrawing needs written notice at least 35 days before the next term, acknowledged by the Principal. Boarding cannot be dropped for Term 3.
- The school reserves the right to raise fees during the year in exceptional economic circumstances.
- Pay by M-Pesa paybill 329840 (account: the student’s 13-digit virtual account number) or KCB account 1297203631, Light International School Nairobi. No cash or cheques.
A First-Year Example
A new Year 7 day student would pay 1,426,000 tuition + 273,000 non-tuition + 57,700 annual service + 5,000 interview + 32,000 admission + 50,000 caution = KSh 1,843,700 for 2026/27, before uniform, trips and transport. A returning Year 10 boarder pays 1,512,000 + 273,000 + 931,000 + 57,700 = KSh 2,773,700. This is our arithmetic.
How It Compares
LIS Karen’s Years 3–4 tuition (KSh 1,015,000 a year) sits between Rusinga School and Braeburn Gitanga Road. Outside Nairobi, Naisula School offers IGCSE and IB. The Kenyan public route is far cheaper: see senior school fees 2026. Every school we have checked is listed on the fees hub.
Sources
- Light International School Nairobi – Karen, 2026–2027 Fee Structure and Exam Fee Structure (PDF), accessed 18 October 2026.
- Light International School, school website (campuses and curriculum), accessed 18 October 2026.