The Cabinet has endorsed government proposals to digitize the entire educational system spanning from primary education to tertiary and university levels.
At a meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House on Wednesday 14, the Cabinet observed that this aligns with the government’s agenda for digital transformation, which prioritizes the restructuring of operational procedures and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
“Resistance to paying fees through e-Citizen is by those who have created parallel bank accounts the way parallel paybills have been set up across the public service.” noted Ruto
The Ministry of Education in January directed parents of students in national schools to pay fees through the eCitizen, the government’s single payment platform.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang instructed schools to submit their respective institution’s bank account details by February 6, 2024, to facilitate the onboarding process.
However on February 7, the High Court in Nairobi temporarily stopped the implementation of the directive following a petition filed by Nakuru Surgeon, Dr Magare Gikenyi. The judge further extended the conservatory orders until April 17, 2024, pending the hearing of the case
Doctor Gikenyi’s petition is based on grounds that it is illegal and has violated the principles of good governance. He further argues that public participation was not conducted including on the convenience Sh50 fee for every transaction which he said was “arrived at capriciously, whimsically and without any iota of public participation”
