Officials Address Low School Enrollment Amid Fee Payment Issues - January 2026

Kenyan schools are experiencing low enrollment, with some grade 10 students reporting they have not returned to school due to an inability to pay school fees. This contradicts claims from the Ministry of Education that enrollment has reached 85%. In response, President William Ruto directed that all grade 10 students report to school, emphasizing the government's allocation of funds for free education. The government is also using chiefs and their deputies to visit villages and urge families to send their children to join Grade 10. Meanwhile, parents are appealing to schools not to send students home over unpaid fees as they await the disbursement of funds from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).