Government Talks Tough on School Arson as Principals Push for Fee Hikes

By Mbungu Harrison & Mwakwaya Raymond

The government has issued a stern warning to students and all stakeholders to stop school unrests and burnished of property.

Basic education principal secretary John Ololtuaa says destruction of school property can no longer be tolerated and must be brought to an end with immediate effect.

“What is going on in our schools must stop. We cannot continue to see this happening. We must be people who love our country.

If we continue burning our schools, then it means that we are not ready to solve the problems,” he told principals at their 49th KESSHA conference at Sheikh Zayed Hall in Mombasa on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

The PS said the government working with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations would hold those involved in unrest accountable when they seek formal employment in future.

He urged families to instil morals at home, noting that guidance and counselling sessions would be introduced in schools to address the wave of disruptions.

“We can deal with this through prayer because problems will be there. No problem lasts forever. We must talk to our children. In other nations, these things do not happen,” he said.

As principals listened to the PS’s warning, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association national chairman Willie Mwangi Kuria made a case for reviewing the current secondary school fee structure citing high food costs that make the 2015 rates unsustainable.

Participants at KEPSHA conference leave the venue after the end of day 2. (Photo By Mwakwaya Raymond)

“The cost of feeding a student per day in our boarding schools is Ksh247.10. That comprises breakfast Ksh36; 10 o’clock tea break Ksh24, lunch Ksh52 and supper Ksh135. The annual cost per student for food alone is Sh61,000. Therefore, it is very expensive. There’s need and justification for a review of the current fee structure and an increment of fees,” he said.

The chair said the current fee structure was set in 2015 and has not been adjusted despite rising inflation and the weakening of the shilling against the dollar.

He spoke as the conference entered its third day in Mombasa.

The chairman also cited inadequate capitation disbursement and improper distribution of books to schools as key challenges facing institutions.

“There is justification for action on the review of the current fee structure for secondary schools per student, pointing to the rising cost of living and the depreciation of the Kenya shilling against the dollar over the period 2015-2026,” he said.

According to data presented at the conference, the food price index has increased by 65.5 per cent while the dollar-to-shilling rate has risen by 47.9 per cent over the same period.

“The current secondary school fee was set in 2015, eleven years ago. Those are many years and it is not possible to run a school with that figure. Therefore there is need for a review,” he said.

In order for schools to sustain themselves, he suggested there was need for an increase in capitation to revamp infrastructure and deal with operational costs.