Blow to President RUTO as High Court declares his directive on school fees payment unconstitutional

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - The High Court has dealt a major blow to President William Ruto’s administration by declaring the directive requiring parents to pay school fees via the eCitizen platform unconstitutional.

Justice Chacha Mwita ruled in favor of a petition filed by Nakuru-based activist Magare Gikenyi and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), stating that the directive lacked proper public participation and stakeholder engagement.

Additionally, the court found that the Ksh 50 convenience fee charged on transactions had no legal basis.

"The High Court has declared the Ministry of Education's directive on payment of school fees via the eCitizen platform irrational, capricious, unconstitutional, null, and void.”

“I was representing LSK in this matter," stated lawyer Omochokoro O'mong'oni.

The ruling follows a previous court decision in February 2024 that temporarily suspended the directive, pending the petition’s determination.

President Ruto had earlier defended the directive, asserting that Government payments through eCitizen were unstoppable and vowed to deal ruthlessly with any resistance from cartels.

In February, while addressing Kenyans in the diaspora, he claimed that consolidating over 3,000 paybill numbers into one had improved transparency and eliminated corruption.

The directive was initially issued on January 31^st, 2023, by former Education PS Belio Kipsang, requiring all school fees and levies to be processed through eCitizen.

However, it faced immediate backlash from parents and education stakeholders, who criticized the lack of consultation.

With this latest ruling, the Government’s push for a full transition to digital payments in schools now faces a significant legal setback.

The Kenyan DAILY POST 

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