Parents with Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates could soon be forced to shoulder part of the cost of exam registration as Parliament considers scrapping the full waiver introduced in 2016. The proposed shift, contained in a document by the Parliament Budget Office (PBO) which advises Parliament on budget matters, would see a cost-sharing model implemented, ending a decade-old policy that had eased the financial strain on thousands of families.
The waiver, championed by former Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, was intended to ensure that no student missed their final exams due to lack of registration fees. Currently, the government covers the entire Sh7,200 registration fee per candidate, but under the new model, parents will be required to contribute some portion.
While the exact cost breakdown remains unclear, the government argues that the waiver is unsustainable amid rising student enrollment with only three cohorts left to the end of KCSE examinations as the 8-4-4 curriculum folds.
According to the proposal, the shift that might puncture the ambitions of a substantial number of learners, especially from poor backgrounds, is necessary since the education sector budget deficit now stands at Sh91.8 billion for the 2024/25 financial year. Officials estimate that scrapping full coverage of registration fees will free up Sh5 billion annually, redirecting funds to other educational priorities. "Currently, the government provides funds to cater for examination costs for all learners sitting for national examinations.
