Parents of school-going children will no longer be required to buy school uniforms from schools or select dealers, as has been the case before.
This is after the Ministry of Education issued a directive prohibiting schools from prescribing uniform dealers to parents or compelling them to buy the uniforms directly from schools.
Education cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu, while appearing before the National Assembly’s select committee on Implementation, said that his ministry had issued the directive to protect parents from exploitation.
Machogu said that a circular had since been sent out to regional and county directors of education banning schools from undertaking any sale or prescription of sellers of school uniforms to parents.
“The right of every child to free and compulsory basic education is enshrined in Article 53(1)(b) of the Constitution. Our position as the ministry is that any measure that has the effect of locking out children from school would be a contravention of this right. This is the case with the prohibitive cost of school uniforms as well,” CS Machogu said.
Speaking during a session chaired by the committee’s chairperson, Memusi Kanchory, the CS underscored that Regulation 67(3) of the Basic Education Regulations, 2015, clarifies that no institution shall prescribe a specific supplier of school uniforms or any other materials for the parent or guardian.
“How will you ensure that the circular is adhered to to ascertain the stoppage of practices where schools stock uniforms and compel parents to buy them or direct parents to purchase uniforms from specific dealers?” asked Kanchory, the Kajiado Central MP.
In response, Prof Machogu revealed intentions by the ministry to note and process the names of non-compliant schools for necessary action within the provisions of the law.
“In preparation for the next Form One intake in 2024, the Ministry has also issued a directive to school principals that no school will direct parents to any particular outlet for the purpose of purchasing uniforms, and no school will stock any uniforms and boarding-related items whatsoever,” the CS said.
The National Assembly had in March this year passed a motion sponsored by Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba seeking to address the escalating costs of school uniforms, terming it prohibitively expensive, with some schools demanding that parents pay uniform money to specific accounts.
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