State orders release of withheld KCPE, KCSE certificates
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba speaks on March 21, 2025 in Mombasa.
The government has ordered all private and public schools withholding Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates to release them to former students regardless of outstanding fees.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said it was illegal to withhold these vital documents.
“The directive applies to all schools, whether private or public. It is based on the Kenya National Examination Council Act 2012, Section 10 (1b), which states that no certificate student should be held by any institution or individual for any reason. Hence, it applies across the board,” he said.
Mr Ogamba urged the heads of the institutions to seek alternative methods of recovery, including the courts.
Speaking during the handover ceremony of the former Mama Ngina Girls High School in Mombasa – now converted into a vocational training college – the CS gave county education directors 14 days to ensure compliance.
“If head teachers or principals fail to release the documents, we will get a report and disciplinary action will be taken against them,” he added.
“Some of these certificates have been held for 10 years, so it’s not an efficient way of collecting school fees.”
Mr Ogamba emphasised the need for institutions to explore other means of recovering arrears.
“That is a conversation we can have, but it needs to be separated from the certificates. It’s a completely different issue. There are many methods institutions can use to recover debt — just like with pending bills — and people go to court,” he insisted.
Mr Ogamba said it was unacceptable to hold a student's certificate in violation of the law and warned that the state would take legal action.
But head teachers, through the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha), criticised the directive, saying it was unfair.
“It is important to note that the said fees arrears constitute services already rendered and goods already enjoyed by the student, but whose burden is unfairly borne by schools whose financial situation is already constrained,” said Kessha chairman Willy Kuria.
“The Ministry of Education should advise schools on measures to take when Form 4 students leave with fee arrears. At the moment, schools are barred from withholding Form 4 certificates,” he added.