MPs Reject Ruto's Plan to Digitize School Fee Payments Through e-Citizen

The Kenyan government's directive to require parents to pay school fees through the e-Citizen platform has faced opposition from Members of Parliament (MPs).

This plan, which had already been halted by a court order, drew strong criticism from legislators who believed it would impose an unfair financial burden on parents and potentially cause disruptions due to delays in accessing funds. During a meeting with Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, the National Assembly Committee on Education voiced concerns about the feasibility of collecting fees through the government portal. Vice Chairman Malulu Injendi highlights the platform's shortcomings, while MP Nabii Nabwera (Lugari) questions the system's reliability, citing the Treasury's history of delayed fund allocation to schools.

Nabwera states, "The Treasury is notorious for delaying the allocation of capitation funds, so how can we be sure that the same won't happen with fees paid through e-citizen?"

Additionally, MP Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba) doubts whether the e-Citizen requirement would prevent schools from requesting additional fees outside the platform. He also questions the service charge imposed on users, stating that it would further burden parents. In response, Prof Bitok defends the system, stating that parents who pay fees through the platform would not be required to pay the service fees. He emphasizes the government's dedication to utilizing technology to enhance efficiency and assures the committee that the platform was designed to ensure the immediate transfer of funds to school accounts, eliminating the delays associated with the Treasury disbursement processes.

According to Bitok, the money paid through the e-Citizen platform does not stay in the Treasury or the e-citizen account. Instead, it goes through the T-Plus system which automatically settles it to the school account. He argues that this would improve visibility and transparency in schools and emphasises the commitment of the Kenya Kwanza administration to leveraging technology.

The PS also explains how the system would accommodate parents who pay fees through commodities. It is worth noting that the Principal Secretary had halted the plan to involve school principals, pending the outcome of a court case questioning the validity of the directive. The court had temporarily suspended the implementation of the directive which was originally scheduled to commence in January, starting with a pilot phase in national schools.