Rangwe Technical and Vocational Centre students have staged protests over what they describe as exorbitant and unjustifiable examination fees imposed by the institution's administration.
Speaking on Wednesday, the students expressed their frustration over being charged Ksh12,600 in examination fees despite taking only a few units, a situation they say is economically unsustainable for many learners.
We, as students from Rangwe Technical, disagree with the admin because the exam fee is too high for us. We cannot manage that exam fee because you are doing three units but at long last you are being charged 12,600 which is not making sense to us," one student stated.
The protesting students also raised concerns about the lack of transparency in how fees are used, pointing to the absence of visible infrastructure development despite the substantial amounts collected.
"No improvement in that school in Rangwe. No improvement at all. When we are in Kamukunji, when you raise the point, that point will be out of order because you are telling them the truth," another student complained, suggesting that their grievances are often dismissed during student forums.
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The students highlighted what they described as glaring inconsistencies in the fee structure, noting that learners taking fewer papers are charged nearly the same amount as those sitting for more examinations.
"If you calculate this 12,600, how does it add up? You do two papers, and they're just oral, then you pay 12,600. We have somebody doing seven papers, and this person is paying 13,500," a student explained.
The disparity has forced many students to stay at home because they cannot afford the required fees. According to the protesters, some students with partial payments are being denied registration for examinations.
"In terms of examination fee, we as the students we are passing a lot of challenges because sometimes you have 5,000 and somebody cannot register you because you have low amount," one student said.
The protests at Rangwe Technical come amid growing tensions over fee increments at learning institutions across the country.
Earlier this week, parents at Kangai Primary School in Mwea forcibly removed their headteacher from the compound over unauthorized fee increases, including demands for Ksh3,000 per parent for desks and Ksh800 for remedial classes, despite government policy on free primary education.
"This headteacher keeps adding expenses without informing us or even holding a meeting. Now they want us to contribute 800 shillings for remedial classes," she stated.
