The MP noted that parents are still being forced to pay school fees amounting to up to Sh. 50,000 especially in national and extra county schools.
Ndindi noted that the high fees are locking many bright but needy students from accessing the schools they are admitted to due to financial constraints.
He said as a result, many parents are forced to enroll their children in day schools because they cannot afford the high fees charged by national schools.
“A school asking for Sh. 30,000 per term from a parent or Sh. 60,000 annually is too high and causes parents not to feel the effect of the new free secondary education programme,” the MP said.
Ndindi said many parents are suffering trying to enroll their children in secondary schools and that the government should find ways of making secondary education fully free.
He challenged the government to establish feeding programmes in day schools to waive the Sh. 3,000 students are charged for food so that parents will only be required to enroll their children.
Ndindi said this while issuing CDF bursary worth Sh. 3 million to 200 needy students from his constituency who have been admitted to national and extra county schools.
“I have been forced to only consider the two categories because they are charged the highest fees and the money available was too little,” he added.
The students were picked from other sponsorship programmes like Wings To Fly which failed to sponsor them after vetting them.
He said when the CDF money is released by the government, more students will be considered and the kitty will sustain the beneficiaries in school.
-Alice Waithera