Court Extends Order Suspending Payment of Fees Via eCitizen

Court Extends Order Suspending Payment of Fees Via eCitizen

Court Extends Order Suspending Payment of Fees Via eCitizen

The Ministry of Education’s mandate for parents to pay school fees online through eCitizen has been suspended by the High Court’s extended rulings. Justice Chacha Mwita declared during her verdict that the suspension would have no impact whatsoever on the administration while the issue was being decided.

In order to provide respite to parents prior to half-term holidays and the start of the second term, Justice Chacha ordered the case to be mentioned on April 17, 2024. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) entered the case as interested parties. The matter was supposed to be heard today before it was postponed.

President William Ruto had defended the move, stating that the directive aligns with the government’s initiative to streamline payment processes under its one pay bill number 222222.

“Payment of school fees through eCitizen won’t be stopped since it helps to eliminate the payment of extra levies by some schools. We have reduced 3,000 government paybills to one. Some people have been operating personal pay bills and collecting government money. That will stop,” he stated while meeting the Kenyan diaspora in Tokyo, Japan.

In support of Ruto’s intentions, Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok declared on February 5 that additional schools would be included to the scheme moving forward.

“To ensure a smooth rollout, the new payment system will be implemented in phases beginning with national schools and subsequently extending to extra county and county schools,” Bitok said.

Teachers, represented by KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori, have demanded that the government abide by the rulings of the courts.After meeting with the union leaders from central Kenya, Misori made it clear in Kirinyaga that the union was in favor of public participation prior to technology adoption rather than being against it.

He further contended that pupils from less fortunate homes would not be able to attend school if the policy was put into place without public input.The Ministry of Education has instructed all parents of National school students to pay their bills via the government pay bill number 222222 or the eCitizen site.Prior to the order’s implementation, head teachers of schools were also asked to submit the data of their bank accounts for examination.