Parents to Pay School Fees via eCitizen

President William Ruto resurrected the plan to channel all school fees through e-Citizen on Thursday.

It has once again raised an outcry from principals and teachers who argue the order fails to take into account rural conditions and the High Court ruling made in 2025.

“Parents should be able to pay fees from home through e-Citizen, where we can verify the data. From today, I’ve made the decision that this government will not handle money transactions using cash since cash is not trackable,” Ruto defended the move during the second Annual education conference in Naivasha.

“Why would you want to continue writing receipts in pieces of paper, which cannot be tracked?” he queried.

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Legal Challenge and Constitutional Implications of the e-Citizen School Fees Directive

The directive, first issued on January 31, 2024, gave schools up to February 6, 2024, to implement the e-Citizen portal and submit their bank account details.

Principals and lobby groups filed a suit against the order, terming it an impractical measure for schools in rural areas with limited internet and technology infrastructure.

In April 2025, the High Court ruled the directive unconstitutional.

“There was no legal basis for the directive compelling parents to pay school fees via e-Citizen. The order was issued without consultation of stakeholders, thereby violating Articles 10 and 232 of the constitution. School fees are not considered government revenue, while also disregard for parents with no phones or Internet and the possibility of them paying through barter were neglected in the directive.” the High Court stated.

The principals claimed the one-size-fits-all policy would hinder schools, particularly those situated in impoverished communities.

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Impact of Mandatory e-Citizen Payments on Schools with Low-income Parents

“In my school not every parent can afford to pay fees through cash. Most parents bring firewood or produce from their farms for school fees. What do we do when the government insists all fees must be paid via e-Citizen? Has anyone gone to the ground?” one Kakamega principal posed.

A Rift Valley principal agreed, “Before forcing e-Citizen on schools, the principals and parent’s ought to have been consulted.”

Ndung’u Wangenye, the KETHAWA National Secretary stated that delays will cripple schools further.

“There is nothing wrong with e-Citizen payment method. The question is if the money will be accessed by the school instantly after parents pay,” said Wangenye. “A balance should be found between e-Citizen and parents’ mode of payment as it is wrong to force parents to sell produce, they could otherwise use in their homes.”

Boaz Waruku of Elimu Bora Working Group accused the State of blaming parents instead of equipping schools with enough finances.

He further asserted that the move to sell produce could result in lower prices being fetched than school expectations.

Dr Emmanuel Manyasa of Usawa Agenda opined that the move may aid in the improvement of accountability while urging for flexibility to the vulnerable families, however the government has since appealed the High Court ruling.

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e-Citizen Portal
PHOTO/NTV