The Government of Kenya has officially released and gazetted a new school fees structure for all public senior secondary schools across the country.
According to the Kenya Gazette dated 6th February 2026 and issued by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, the revised fees apply to learners under both the Competency-Based Education (CBE) and the 8-4-4 systems.
Day Senior Schools
For day scholars in public senior schools, the government will fully cater for key learning costs amounting to KSh 22,244 per learner annually.
This includes tuition, activity fees, medical and insurance, SMASSE, administration, and maintenance.
Parents of day scholars will not be required to pay any additional fees.
Boarding Senior Schools
The gazette outlines different fee caps for boarding schools:
Schools previously approved to charge up to KSh 53,554
Parents will pay up to KSh 53,554, while the government contributes KSh 22,244, bringing the total to KSh 75,798 per learner annually.
Schools previously approved to charge up to KSh 40,535
Parents will pay up to KSh 40,535, with government support of KSh 22,244, totaling KSh 62,779 per learner annually.
Special Needs Schools
For learners in special needs senior schools, the total annual cost is set at KSh 70,764, with the government paying KSh 57,974 and parents contributing KSh 12,790.
Implementation Guidelines
The new fees structure took effect from 5th January 2026.
Schools are required to distribute the fees across three terms in the ratio 50:30:20.
Public schools are prohibited from charging any extra tuition or levies beyond the gazetted structure.
Any future changes must be approved by the Education Cabinet Secretary and published in the Kenya Gazette.
The new structure aims to standardize school fees across public institutions and ease the financial burden on parents while ensuring smooth learning for students nationwide.
