School Operating Licence (Primary / Secondary) Fees / Charges, Kenya

Every private primary or secondary school operating in Kenya must be registered by the Ministry of Education through the County Director of Education, in accordance with the Basic Education Act, 2013 and the Ministry's Registration of Educational Institutions guidelines. Unregistered schools may not legally admit or charge fees from students. Registration is either provisional (one year) or full (five years). The Ministry of Education enforces minimum infrastructure, staffing, health, and curriculum standards before issuing a registration certificate.

School Registration / Licence Fee Summary Table

Registration Type	Amount (KES)	Notes
Private institution registration (per category)	10,000	Applies to primary, secondary, or pre-primary
Five-year re-registration (private institution)	10,000	Same fee as initial registration
Public institution registration	2,000	Lower fee for public schools
Late or lapsed re-registration	Varies	Subject to Ministry enforcement

Fees are published under the Ministry of Education's Basic Standard Requirements for Registration of Educational Institutions.

Key Requirements

To register a private primary or secondary school, the proprietor must submit a completed application form to the Sub-County Director of Education, proof of land ownership or a minimum three-year lease, approved building plans, health and safety compliance certificates from the relevant county offices, a list of qualified and TSC-registered teachers, curriculum compliance documentation based on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) approved by KICD, and governance structures including a Board of Management. The school is provisionally registered for one year, during which a quality assurance inspection takes place before a full five-year certificate is issued.

Additional Considerations

Schools must register on the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) platform to be eligible for government capitation grants. All teachers must be registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

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