Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
School fees are one of the biggest costs Kenyan families face, and a payment sent to the wrong account or without a receipt can be hard to recover. The Ministry of Education’s Guidelines for Implementation of Senior School Education, published in October 2025, set out rules on how schools must charge and receive fees. This guide turns those rules into practical steps for paying safely in 2026.
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Start With the Fee Structure
The guidelines require schools to issue fee structures broken down by vote head at the start of the year. A vote-head breakdown shows how much goes to items such as boarding equipment and stores, maintenance, activity fees and other heads. Ask for the fee structure on school letterhead. For public boarding senior schools, compare it with Gazette Notice No. 1449 of 2026, which caps the parent’s share at KSh 53,554 or KSh 40,535 a year. Day senior schools charge no tuition fees. See senior school fees 2026.
Use Official Payment Channels Only
The guidelines say schools must use official payment channels. In practice, that usually means the school’s bank account or the official mobile money paybill printed on the fee structure. Be careful with:
- requests to pay into a personal phone number or a staff member’s account;
- messages claiming the school has “changed its account”, especially near reporting day; and
- anyone asking for payment to secure a place or release an admission letter.
If in doubt, call the school office on a number from its official letter or website before paying.
Always Get an Official Receipt
Schools must give official receipts. Keep the receipt, plus the bank slip or mobile money message, in one folder for each child. You may need them for bursary applications, disputes or transfers.
Pay by Term, at 50:30:20
The gazette notice requires boarding fees to be spread over three terms at 50:30:20. For the higher ceiling, that is about KSh 26,777, KSh 16,066 and KSh 10,711. Read boarding fees per term.
Instalment Plans
If you cannot pay a full term at once, ask for an instalment plan. The guidelines allow schools to accept instalments under a signed payment plan while the learner stays in school, and they prohibit sending students away for non-payment of boarding fees, as provided in the Basic Education Act. Get the plan in writing, signed by you and the school, and keep a copy.
Questioning an Extra Charge
No public school may charge fees or levies outside the gazetted structure without approval. If you see an extra charge, ask for the approval in writing. Our guide on reporting illegal school levies explains how to escalate.
Junior Schools
Public junior schools are funded through capitation and may not charge any other fees or levies, including for lunch, under the Ministry’s 2026 circulars. See junior school fees and capitation.
Plan Ahead
Use our school fees hub for school-by-school fee structures, and bursaries and scholarships if you need help. For affordable revision at home, the Year Pass at KSh 4,000 works out at less than KSh 11 a day and is paid through our M-Pesa checkout.