Teachers’ Toilet Development Fee Dispute Delays Top Student’s KCSE Registration

By Our Correspondent

The academic future of a bright but needy student from Salama in Laikipia East hangs in the balance after his former school allegedly declined to release his Standard 8 leaving certificate over unpaid development fees.

Derrick Musau has yet to register for the Form 4 national examination after the headmaster of Marura Primary School, Mr Kiguru Mwangi, reportedly demanded first the payment of money said to be for the construction of a teachers’ toilet block.

His mother, Jeniffer Nyamu, said she sent her son to collect the certificate when schools reopened in January but was informed by the head teacher that it would only be released once the outstanding development fee had been cleared.

“I called the head teacher and he told me I have a balance of Sh5,500 which must be cleared before he hands over the certificate. The development money was Sh3,500. I don’t know how it rose to Sh5,500,” she said.

Derrick scored 395 marks out of a possible 500 in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination, emerging the top candidate in Salama Ward, Laikipia East Constituency.

He was awarded by Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu for the stellar performace and was later admitted to Murang’a High School, a top-performing national boys’ secondary school in Murang’a County.

Ms Nyamu said teachers at Murang’a High School advised that the student return with the leaving certificate after the mid-term break or else fail to register for the KCSE exam but the document is yet to be released. She added that she had asked her son to present his KCPE result slip to the school in the meantime.

“I wonder why Mr Kiguru is doing this to me. He knows my background and my financial capacity very well, and that my son is under a scholarship from well-wishers and organizations of goodwill,” she said.

She said the teachers in Murangá understand her plight but there was nothing they could do other than pushing for the certificate. It’s a requirement by the Kenya National Examination Council that candidates should register for exams using the standard 8 certificate.

When contacted, the headmaster dismissed the claims, accusing Ms Nyamu of dishonesty, terming her as a liar, and insisting that she should personally collect the certificate from the school in Pesi, Salama Ward, and sign the necessary documents.

“Advise her to come for the certificate herself or send the son. I don’t want a scenario where she will later play her cards,” he said, maintaining that the school had not demanded any development money from parents to construct a teachers’ toilet.

The dispute comes amid renewed government warnings to teachers and school administrators against withholding KCPE and KCSE certificates over unpaid school fees or development levies.

The Ministry of Education has also directed that certificates be collected directly from Sub-County education offices, effectively stripping school principals of the authority to retain them and ensuring that students can access their documents for further education or employment.

Beginning in 2026, all KCPE and KCSE certificates will be dispatched by the Kenya National Examinations Council to Sub-County Directors of Education offices rather than directly to schools.