Wamuzi News Ke
In a move that has triggered outrage and disbelief, President William Ruto’s government has announced the scrapping of the Ksh5 billion national examination fee waiver – a decision Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale says could drive thousands of students from poor backgrounds out of school for good.
Speaking passionately to residents in Lurambi Constituency on Saturday, May 24, 2025, Khalwale didn’t hold back. The senator slammed the president’s new directive, calling it a cruel attack on Kenya’s most vulnerable children.
“We woke up today to a national betrayal,” Khalwale declared. “The government has reversed a policy that guaranteed free national exams for our children. Now, starting next year, they must pay. If you force the poor to pay, they will simply drop out!”
According to Khalwale, this abrupt policy change effectively locks out students from low-income families and turns education into a privilege for the rich. He called on President Ruto to rethink the decision, urging the government to impose such fees only on private school learners — not those struggling in public institutions.
“Let those who can afford to pay, pay. But do not punish the poor. They already bear the burden of the confusing CBC curriculum and an unfair funding model. Now we want to charge them for exams too?” he asked, visibly emotional.
Khalwale warned that this could deepen inequality and tear down years of progress made in promoting universal education in Kenya. He painted a grim picture of a nation where only the wealthy could access learning and sit for exams.
“We’re heading into dangerous territory. Poor kids have already been forced out of universities because of CBC. They’re dropping out of primary and secondary schools. And now, by reintroducing exam fees, we’re turning education into an exclusive club for the rich.”
Government Defends Decision
The firestorm was ignited after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi hinted that the fee waiver — originally introduced by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2015 — would be scrapped by 2026.
Mbadi defended the move, arguing that taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for everyone, especially those in high-end private schools.
“If you can afford Ksh300,000 to Ksh1 million in school fees annually, surely you can afford Ksh5,000 for exam fees,” Mbadi said. “Why should struggling Kenyans subsidize that?”
He revealed that Kenya is expecting nearly 3 million students to sit national exams in 2026 — about 1.2 million for KPSEA and over 960,000 for KCSE. The government, he said, cannot continue to bear the full cost.
But Khalwale says this is a betrayal of the 100% transition policy and a death blow to free, fair access to education in the country.
“This decision is not just bad – it’s dangerous. It is a war against the dreams of poor children,” he warned.
As Kenyans absorb the implications of this policy shift, pressure is mounting on the government to reconsider. For now, a storm is brewing – and it’s not going away anytime soon.
