The Ministry of Education has issued new guidelines to parents of students in national schools, facilitating a smooth transition to a government-introduced fee payment process.
In a circular to National School principals, the ministry stated that all payments must now be made through the e-citizen platform.
“The directorate of e-citizen in partnership with Information Communication Technology Authority (ICTA), Ministry of information, communication and the digital economy and the National Treasury have been coordinating the onboarding of all government services onto the e- citizen platform to enhance service delivery,” read part of the letter.
This initiative, in collaboration with ICTA, Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy, and National Treasury, aims to enhance service delivery.
Principals have been instructed to collect and submit parents’ bank account details by February 6th for direct payments through the platform, aligning with the government’s strategy to boost revenue collection.
“As part of compliance with the requirements it is directed that parents/guardians make fee payments for their learners in your institutions through this platform,” the letter added.
The introduction of school fee payment through the e-Citizen platform is part of the government’s plan to increase collection of revenue.
In June 2023, President William Ruto launched the e-Citizen Portal, a transformative digital project to modernize government services for accessibility.
The Ministry’s recent letter warns against unauthorized levies by public schools, emphasizing adherence to the authorized fees structure and the implementation of free and compulsory basic education.
President Ruto’s vision for the e-Citizen platform includes streamlining processes, reducing corruption, and increasing government revenue, with impressive revenue growth recorded in September 2023.
“We have sorted out all the challenges we had with eCitizen; by the end of next year, all 5,000 government services will be available on a digital platform,” the letter proceeded.
The ministry further noted that every sub- county and county director of education will be held liable for any breach within their area of jurisdiction.
They are required to utilize a multi-agency approach to ensure adherence to the authorized fees structure and implementation of free and compulsory basic education.
