School principals form team to regulate pricing of uniforms
A teacher issues uniforms to Form One students at Muruguru Girls High School in Nyeri County.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) has formed a special team to regulate the pricing of uniforms following an uproar by parents.
The association’s chairman Indimuli Kahi assured parents and the Ministry of Education that the matter will be resolved once and for all.
The high uniform fees racket in many schools across the country has been minting millions from already overstretched parents.
“The team comprises Kessha county and national officials who have agreed that we shall self-regulate as principals so that we continue providing the quality of uniforms that we want our children to wear and make sure they are affordable,” said Mr Kahi.
The association refuted claims that its members have turned educational institutions into money-minting machines through the selling of uniforms, saying that public schools are also subjected to the public procurement process.
“I know there is the general feeling that we are not doing very well when it comes to uniforms and there is a proposal that this be taken away from schools because principals are using this as a profit-making venture,” said Mr Kahi. “But we provide an opportunity for parents to easily, safely and cheaply get these uniforms. The challenge is that we have lumped boarding items and uniforms together and the total cost presented as that of uniform,” said the Machakos Boys High School principal.
He said the school heads have agreed on, among other things, separating boarding items from uniforms “so that what is uniform is uniform and this is the cost, what is a boarding item including mattress and bed sheets is a boarding item and is put separately to make it very clear”.
Mr Kahi said institutions advertise for the supply of items and suppliers are subjected to competitive bidding. He explained that when principals direct parents to buy uniforms from certain shops, it is not because they have reached some agreement with the supplier.
“It’s because the individual won the tender having qualified through the whole process. When we ask parents to come and get the items in school, it’s because we have asked the supplier to make it easier for our parents to come and collect uniforms in schools,” he said.
Last month, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang challenged the Kessha leadership to regulate the cost of school uniforms among its members following parents’ complaints.
Early this year, parents accused principals, especially those from national and extra-county schools of turning the institutions into money-making businesses exploiting parents with exorbitant prices of school items, including uniforms. They said they have been left at the mercy of the school administrators despite the government banning principals from selling uniforms.
The parents urged the government to take action against the principals who were also imposing extra levies and other hidden charges contrary to the Education ministry’s guidelines.
Led by National Parents Association chairperson Silas Obuhatsa, education stakeholders urged the State to take stern action against the offending principals.
On January 24, Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria said parents have the freedom to buy school items from their preferred suppliers. However, administrators of boarding schools continued to sell the items or directed parents to source them from specific suppliers.
