Summary:
1) The High Court in Nairobi issues an interim order suspending the government’s school fee payment directive through eCitizen.
2) Dr. Magare Gikenyi’s petition challenges the legality of the directive, prompting court intervention.
Nairobi,Feb 7 (TopNews) – The High Court in Nairobi has intervened to halt a recent government directive requiring parents to pay school fees through the eCitizen platform. In response to a petition filed by Nakuru doctor Magare Gikenyi, the court issued an interim conservatory order suspending the circular issued by Principal Secretary Belio R Kipsang of the Ministry of Education on January 31, 2024.
The judge ruled, “An interim conservatory order is hereby issued suspending the Circular or letter by the Principal Secretary (Belio R Kipsang), Ministry of Education dated January 31, 2024. This directive required parents/guardians and/or students to pay fees and other levies for all government learning institutions through the e-citizen platform or any other digital platform(s) until February 13, 2024, when the court will issue further directions in this petition.”
This directive mandated parents, guardians, and students to pay fees and levies for all government learning institutions through the e-Citizen platform or any other digital platform until February 13, 2024, when the court will issue further directions in this petition.
The directive from the Ministry of Education aimed to streamline fee payments and enhance service delivery by transitioning all government services, including school fee payments, to digital platforms.
As part of this initiative, national school principals were instructed to share school bank account details with the office of the State Department’s Director-General by February 6, 2024. This directive aligned with the government’s broader efforts to digitise public services, following a directive by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u.
Dr. Gikenyi, a consultant trauma and general surgeon working for the Nakuru County government, challenged the legality of the directive in court. He argued that the initiative violated principles of good governance and disadvantaged parents in rural areas who traditionally used non-monetary fee payment methods.
The court’s intervention reflects concerns about fairness, accessibility, and adherence to governance principles in the implementation of digital platforms for public services.