Kenyan Parents with School Fee Arrears to Be Flagged in Credit Reference Bureaus, Education Ministry Warns

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha says his Ministry is planning to have parents of students who leave school with fee arrears listed with Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs).

Appearing before National Assembly's Education committee on Friday, Prof. Magoha said they had established that some well-off parents were deliberately refusing to settle school fees.

He said some of the parents want to take advantage of a government policy requiring schools to release KCSE and KCPE certificates of students with fees arrears.

“It is not true all certificates being held are for those students who cannot pay their school fees; there is a sizeable number who can afford to pay but have refused."

“If you are a teacher and you have never gone back to pay your fees arrears, then you should be reported to the CRB and get blacklisted,” said Magoha.

Magoha told the committee that the Ministry will carry out an audit to identify parents who have deliberately defaulted fees. 

The House team wants Education Ministry to implement the policy blocking school heads from withholding certificates over unpaid fees.

The committee argues that most high school leavers are missing out on career and job opportunities for lack of certificates.