The Cabinet has approved government plans to digitise the entire education system right from basic education to tertiary and university levels.
The Cabinet Wednesday said this is in keeping with the government’s digital transformation agenda which focuses on re-engineering business processes and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
“This intervention aims to address the governance challenges within our education system that have led to parallel accounts, charging of unauthorised school fees, diversion of the exchequer releases on capitation and other fraudulent activities that undermine the integrity of the education system, leading to the enrollment of ghost students,” a dispatch released after the Cabinet meeting said.
The meeting was chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
As part of interventions to stop charging of unauthorised school fees, the Ministry of Education in January directed parents of students in national schools to pay fees through the eCitizen, the government’s single payment platform.
In a circular dated January 31, 2024, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang instructed schools to submit their respective institution’s bank account details by February 6, 2024, to facilitate the onboarding process.
Belio said in a statement the National Treasury was coordinating the onboarding of all government services onto the eCitizen platform to enhance service delivery.
But on February 7, the High Court in Nairobi temporarily stopped the implementation of the directive following a petition filed by Nakuru Surgeon, Dr Magare Gikenyi.
Justice Chacha Mwita issued the orders saying he was satisfied that the petitioner raised fundamental questions.
“It is hereby ordered that an interim conservatory order is hereby issued suspending the Circular or letter by Principal Secretary (Belio Kipsang), Ministry of Education dated 31st January 2024 requiring parents, guardians, and or students to pay fees and or any other levies for all government learning institutions through eCitizen platform or any digital platform,” the order read in part.
The judge on Tuesday extended the conservatory orders until April 17, 2024, pending the hearing of Dr Gikenyi’s case.
Justice Mwita also allowed the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to be enjoined in the case as interested parties.
Doctor Gikenyi wants the directive overturned because it is illegal and has violated the principles of good governance.
He further argues that public participation was not conducted including on the convenience Sh50 fee for every transaction which he said was “arrived at capriciously, whimsically and without any iota of public participation”.
