Manyatta MP wants school heads to release KCSE certificates held over fees arrears

Addressing his constituents on Wednesday, the MP slammed a section of public day secondary school heads who were still holding the certificates of their KCSE candidates saying it was derailing the academic progress of the affected learners.

He underscored the importance of KCSE certificates in the modern world reiterating that a student lacking the vital document can neither secure a job nor further his education.

“I am going to warn all the principals…please as long as it is a public day secondary school, release certificates of students, so that they continue with their lives and they will come back and thank you later when they have degrees or diplomas and be grateful to your school,” Mukunji said.

“The moment you hold their certificates behind, nikumaanisha umekwamisha maisha yake. There is nothing you can do without your certificates nowadays…huwezi ata pata kazi.”

The lawmaker argued that the government was the financier of schools and thus the heads should not take it upon themselves to punish the students by denying them their certificates.

“Release their certificates and allow them to continue with their studies. There is no school which is allowed to incur debts so you cannot claim they owe anyone…you have been funded by the government,” he stated.

MP Mukunji at the same time urged President William Ruto to formalise the directive to enable Form 4 leavers to further their studies.

“I want to appeal nationally to the president to give a directive that all certificates of public secondary schools should be released to students so that they can go to TVETS, colleges and universities and continue with their lives,” he said.

The remarks by the MP follow a recent directive by Education Principal Secretary Dr Julius Jwan instructing all county directors of Education to ensure all primary and secondary school heads release students’ certificates in their custody without charging any levy.

"The Ministry of Education has sent numerous reminders and circulars to schools through the field officers warning them against the introduction of extra levies, withholding KCPE/KCSE certificates and conducting illegal tuition during the weekend and school holidays," Jwan said on November 2022.