Ruto Mandates eCitizen for School Fees Payments Nationwide
The Cabinet has given its approval for the digitization of the entire national education system, to enhance efficiency in service delivery.
In a Cabinet communication released on Wednesday, it was highlighted that the digitization initiative aims to address several challenges in the education sector, such as the management of multiple school accounts and the issue of excessive fee charges.
Alternatively, President William Ruto’s Cabinet clarified that the digitization process would eradicate the registration of non-existent students.
“In keeping with the Administration’s digital transformation agenda, Cabinet sanctioned the digitization of the entire education system, spanning from basic education to tertiary and university levels.
“This intervention aims to address the governance challenges within our education system that have led to parallel accounts, charging of unauthorized 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,” read the dispatch in part.
After receiving approval, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu is anticipated to release instructions outlining the implementation details of the digitization plan.
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At the outset, the eCitizen plan focused exclusively on national schools. In a directive issued at the beginning of the month, Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary of Education, highlighted that parents would commence making payments using the eCitizen platform.
Nevertheless, the directive faced legal opposition, and the High Court in Nairobi temporarily suspended the proceedings.
In the ongoing legal proceedings, Justice Chacha Mwita prolonged the directives until April 17, the scheduled date for the case to be heard and resolved.
Significantly, parents had expressed concerns about the digitalization proposal, particularly because some of them typically cover school fees by providing goods like maize and firewood instead.
Alternatively, educators raised concerns about the procedure through which schools are anticipated to receive funds in the eCitizen initiative.
“There are also parents who do casual jobs in schools to pay fees for their children. How will they be able to do so on the e-Citizen platform?”Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) secretary general Akelo Misori wondered.
Ruto Mandates eCitizen for School Fees Payments Nationwide