Lawmakers have raised concerns about the practicality of the government's plan to require all school fees to be paid through the eCitizen platform.

National Assembly Committee on Education and Research led by Hon. Malulu Injendi (Malava), met with Amb. (Prof.) Julius K. Bitok, the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, regarding the implementation of the presidential directive on payment of school fees through the E-Citizen platform.

Members of the Committee questioned the feasibility of the plan, particularly for families living in remote areas without reliable internet access and electricity. "How will parents in villages be expected to pay school fees online?" asked Nyamira County MP, Hon. Jerusha Momanyi.

Amb. Bitok acknowledged the challenges but defended the plan, stating that eCitizen has a "robust system" to streamline school fee collection. He emphasized ongoing consultations between his department and the Ministry of Education to address concerns.

Committee Vice-Chair, Hon. Malulu Ijendi (Malava) also raised concern regarding the potential for additional fees associated with using the eCitizen platform, placing an extra burden on parents.

Hon. Rebecca Tonkei (Narok County) asked, "Are parents going to incur extra costs of paying school fees using the e-citizen? Who is going to bear that cost?'

"We are not going to charge transaction fees to parents for paying school fees," responded PS Bitok.

The Principal Secretary also revealed that the implementation is planned to begin on May 1st, 2024, subject to resolving a court order and completing stakeholder engagement.

He added that while some educational institutions are already on boarded on eCitizen, there are still thousands, including county schools and national schools, that require integration.

Hon. Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba) and Hon. Abdul Haro (Mandera South) inquired about the time it would take for schools to receive the fees once paid electronically, considering delays often experienced with the National Treasury.

Members of the Education Committee highlighted the need for a system that accommodates parents who traditionally pay school fees using livestock or other goods.

"We have parents across the country particularly in rural areas who pay school fees using maize, kuni, goats. How is the platform going to accommodate them?" asked Hon. Nabii Nabwera (Lugari).

Amb. Bitok informed the Committee that payment of school fees in kind will be montizws through the platform. However, legislators put the PS task on how it would be actualised.

PS Bitok further outlined various challenges faced during the implementation, including initial compatibility issues with university systems and a slow onboarding rate.

 He highlighted ongoing efforts to address these issues, such as adapting the eCitizen platform to university needs and working with institutions to expedite the process.