Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has directed all schools to release certificates that were previously withheld from students due to unpaid fees.
He emphasized that no institution has the legal right to retain the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) or Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) for any reason, including outstanding school fees.
Speaking at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Jogoo House, Migos instructed county education directors to submit a compliance report within 14 days.
To support schools financially, he also announced that the government had disbursed Ksh14 billion to secondary schools last Friday to clear pending capitation funds for the first term.
Government Intervenes to End TUK Strike
In addition to addressing withheld certificates, Migos signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) and the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) to end a month-long strike that had paralyzed learning at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK).
He explained that an inter-ministerial committee had been working to resolve the crisis, and with the new agreement in place, TUK staff can now return to their duties, restoring normal operations at the university.
“I trust and believe that the Council and the Administration will work extra hard to recover the lost time for students,” said CS Ogamba.
Migos assured that the Ministry has implemented measures to ensure that learning in public universities continues smoothly.
University Staff Unions Welcome Deal
UASU Secretary General Constant Wasonga confirmed that staff would resume teaching immediately, bringing the prolonged TUK strike to an end. He also commended the Ministry for stepping in with a bailout plan to support the university.
“More importantly, let’s get to work because now we have a deal. We couldn’t get everything, but we have a phased plan that will solve this problem once and for all,” Wasonga said.
KUSU Chairperson Dr. Philip Onyango echoed these sentiments, thanking stakeholders for their role in resolving the crisis.
He acknowledged that while the immediate issues had been addressed, discussions with the government would continue to ensure long-term solutions.
“By a letter dated January 27, 2025, the employer appealed to KUSU to call off the strike, assuring us that the arising issues would be resolved amicably,” Onyango stated.
