“Pay or Stay Home!” Parents Decry KSh 150k Bribe Demands for Senior School Entry
As the 2026 academic year kicks off, a dark cloud of corruption is hovering over the transition to Grade 10. Desperate parents in Nairobi have raised the alarm, reporting that some school principals are demanding massive bribes—ranging from KSh 10,000 to as high as KSh 150,000—to secure admission slots for their children. Despite the government’s promise of a fair and automated placement process, the high-stakes “transfer season” has reportedly turned into a lucrative auction for unscrupulous officials.
The crisis stems from a massive mismatch between student preferences and school capacities. While the Ministry of Education recently reopened a second revision window from January 6 to January 9, 2026, the competition for elite “National” and “Extra-County” schools is fierce. With over 355,000 applications submitted during the first review phase and thousands still stuck in schools they didn’t choose, parents are finding themselves at the mercy of “admission cartels” who claim they can bypass the official system for a fee.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has repeatedly warned that the era of the “principal’s letter” is over, with all admissions strictly managed through the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS). However, on the ground, the story is different. Parents report that some school heads are creating artificial “bottlenecks,” telling families that slots are full while quietly offering the same desks to those willing to pay “facilitation fees.” This digital dictatorship was meant to promote merit, but technical glitches and a lack of transparency have instead created a thriving shadow market.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has pushed back against these allegations, with Chairman Willy Kuria arguing that principals are actually struggling with low capitation and capacity issues rather than engaging in syndicates. Yet, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has confirmed receiving numerous complaints of extortion. For a parent already struggling with the high cost of new Grade 10 uniforms, textbooks, and the shift to Senior School pathways, a KSh 150,000 bribe demand is not just illegal—it’s a dream-killer for their child’s education.
With official reporting for Senior School set for January 12, 2026, the window to fix these placements is closing fast. Parents are encouraged to use the current revision window ending January 9 to explore schools with genuine vacancies rather than falling into the bribe trap.