Alliance Girls Faces Probe Over Sh120,179 Fee Hike Scandal
In a decisive move to enforce government fee guidelines, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has called upon the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to take disciplinary action against Alliance Girls High School Principal Margaret Njeru. The directive follows an extensive Ministry of Education investigation which established that the school had implemented an unauthorized fee structure that nearly doubled the government-approved annual cap. According to the ministry’s findings, the school’s Board of Management had approved a 2026 fee structure of Sh120,179, which stood in stark contrast to the government-mandated annual fee cap of Sh53,554.
The investigation by the ministry’s Quality Assurance and Standards Directorate established that these inflated fees were designed to fund a budget containing what CS Ogamba described as non-essential and unrealistic expenditure areas. These expenditures were cited as evidence of significant financial mismanagement and a failure by the board to exercise prudent oversight, as they significantly increased the financial burden on parents. Among the most controversial items flagged was a Sh25 million five-day staff trip to Dubai, which was approved during a board meeting on October 16, 2025. Investigators noted that school management was even tasked with finding a way to bridge a Sh13 million funding gap specifically for this international excursion.
Further scrutiny of the school’s 2025/26 budget revealed several other alarming allocations that the ministry deemed unjustifiable. These included Sh16 million for annual school trips and a staggering Sh13 million dedicated solely to prize giving and speeches. Additionally, the report highlighted Sh5 million for prize vouchers, sweets, and examiners, alongside Sh3 million for airtime and administrative allowances. Even spiritual welfare was not exempt from the inflated budget, with Sh1.1 million earmarked for moral and spiritual activities.
Beyond seeking disciplinary action against the principal, CS Ogamba has ordered that an investigative report be presented to the County Education Board for further consideration and recommendations. The ministry’s findings conclude that the current board failed in its oversight duty by approving these expenditures, which directly contravened government policy intended to keep secondary education affordable for Kenyan families. This administrative crackdown signals a new era of zero tolerance for unauthorized school levies, emphasizing that even high-profile national institutions must strictly adhere to approved fee structures.