Form One students began reporting to their respective secondary schools yesterday amid complaints by parents of higher levies and costly items.
Some parents also lamented being unable to secure preferred schools for their children while head teachers said congestion had stretched facilities in the learning institutions.
This year, of the 1,179,192 candidates who sat the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam, 1,171,265 were placed in secondary schools.
Some 36,254 students are scheduled to join national schools, 201,077 extra county schools, 213,591 county schools and 718,516 sub-county schools, while 1,827 will join Special Needs Education schools.
Geoffrey Omollo, form one student reports to Kanga High school with an empty box. He only had a pair of shoes, a dictionary and Kamusi, which were borrowed.
Photo credit: Ian Byron | Nation Media Group
The figure excludes inmates, over age candidates, and candidates from refugee camps.
As a pointer to the hard economic times, a student reported to Kanga High School in Migori with a nearly empty box. Geoffrey Omollo had only a dictionary, kamusi and a pair of tattered sport shoes.
“That’s all I could raise since I have no parent. Even the few books and shoes were donated to me by a neighbour whose son had completed high school,” Omollo told the Nation.
Chief Principal Rueben Kodiango said: “We will provide him with the basics as his school fee issue is looked into.”
Ms Caren Akinyi said although she had purchased all items listed in the admission letter, the school had forced them to buy calculators, mathematical tables and a ream of papers, which were not part of the requirements.
“We were here by 6am but we are yet to finish the exercise since the school instructed that we should not be admitted without the additional requirements,” said Ms Akinyi at one of the schools in Kisumu County. “Most of us cannot raise the additional cash, so we are still stranded.”
“I have a list of 30 items to buy for my son who has been admitted to Koelel Boys High School. The school has said my son will not be admitted without them. I had budgeted for about Sh15,000 but it has burst to Sh21,000,” said Ms Jane Kamathi.
A form one students is assisted by other students at Moi Girls' High School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
“I will buy what I can afford the rest I will explain to the school authority,” Ms Kamathi said.
In Mombasa, parents braved heavy rains that pounded the region to escort their children to schools as they decried the high cost of stationery and uniforms.
“The government should offer subsidies for school materials to cushion parents, especially uniforms and food. Life is unbearable, prices of items have skyrocketed. It’s a big challenge especially with the school calendar that was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Mr Donald Onyango who took his daughter to Mama Ngina Girls High school.
In Samburu, parents said the drought had led to poor livestock prices, which made it harder for them to buy pricey school items and pay fees.
“We usually depend on livestock to raise the school fees but prices are down this time. Our animals are emaciated due to drought so it will be difficult to pay school fees this time,” said Joseph Lengirasi, from Maralal.
Head teachers who spoke to the Nation told of persistent requests from parents to have their children enrolled in their preferred schools. At Machakos Boys High school, parents jammed the gate, pleading for slots for their children.
In Kisumu, long queues were witnessed in some schools as parents complained of a slow admission exercise.
A form one waits for admission at Homa Bay Boys High school on May 4, 2022.
Photo credit: George Odiwuor | Nation Media Group
Kisumu School acting principal Erick Duya said the exercise will go on until Friday. He added that although they had rejected request from over 400 students, they were still expecting over 600 newcomers. He said the school’s facilities are already stretched and they were working on ways to accommodate the population.
At Kisumu Girls, at least five classrooms have been converted into dormitories. Deputy Principal Jemimah Abok said they were expecting over 400 students.
In Nakuru, bookshops and school uniform shops in the satellite towns of Gilgil, Molo, Njoro and Naivasha were full. Long queues also formed in many of the banks as parents paid school fees.
An attendant at one of the school uniform shops said: “This year is a little bit different as we had five days of holiday and majority of the parents had travelled upcountry and have now come back to work. That is why there is a congestion.”
In Mombasa, Mama Ngina Girls High School expects to admit 288 students in its five streams. Last year, it admitted 250 in four streams. However, Chief Principal Mwanamisi Omar said she will find modalities to accommodate the extra students.
“Normally we admit 250 students but this year we have been given 288, we believe more will come and we welcome them although our capacity is a bit strained,” said Ms Omar.
A form one student is assisted by other students at Moi Girls' High School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County to carry her belongings during form one admission on May 04, 2022.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Ms Omar, who is the vice-chairperson of the Mombasa County heads association, said the school, which is situated in the city centre, will soon relocate to the expansive Shimo La Tewa High School land in Shanzu to accommodate more students.
At the Nyahururu Boys High School, Deputy Principal James Macharia said the admission exercise was running smoothly.
“We are expecting to admit about 150 students as we wait for others to report to school by the end of the week,” he said.
By Faith Nyamai, Ian Byron, Steve Njuguna, Angeline Ochieng, Francis Mureithi, Winnie Atieno and Geoffrey Ondieki
