The Elimu Bora Working Group’s survey of 388 parents, guardians and grandparents in 11 counties indicates that 45.9% of learners are occasionally or very often sent home or denied lessons when extra charges are not paid, despite the government’s Sh22,000 per‑student capitation.

All counties surveyed – Baringo, Kakamega, Kiambu, Kisumu, Makueni, Mandera, Meru, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru and Uasin Gishu – reported illegal levies across every school cluster and category.

Day‑school learners are disproportionately affected, with 64.9% sent home or barred from class compared with 40.5% of boarding‑school pupils; 60.6% miss school days and 51.1% miss examinations because of the charges.

Low‑income families bear the brunt: 61.3% of learners from households earning less than Sh10,000 a month are sent home at least occasionally, versus 23.1% from households earning between Sh30,001 and Sh60,000.

More than nine in ten households have either paid an illegal levy in 2025, expect to pay one in 2026, or anticipate fees above the gazetted amount, with 61.6% describing the extra charges as difficult or impossible to afford.

Development levies are the most common charge linked to exclusion; 83.3% of affected households report learners being threatened with or actually sent home over unpaid development levies, some amounting to Sh50,000‑Sh60,000.

Schools typically collect illegal fees verbally, with about half issuing written notices and others resorting to threats; the practice can extend to withholding certificates or refusing to clear Form 4 candidates until payments are made.

The Elimu Bora Working Group urges the Ministry of Education to audit school fee structures, enforce the constitutional guarantee of free and compulsory basic education, and establish confidential complaint mechanisms to protect parents and learners from retaliation.