There has been an uproar amongst a section of Kenyans after the Ministry of Education put up a public notice indicating planned conversion of a public school to be privately owned.
The school in question is Kipkeino Primary School in Uasin Gishu.
To locals in the area, the institution is known as Kipkeino School.
Is Kipkeino School public or private institution?
While the government has notified Kenyans of the intention to convert the institution into a private one, one thing remains unclear – has it been public?
Anyone living around Kipkeino School will attest to the fact that many have assumed it was a private school.
From it’s infrastructure and school fees – the school has been operating as a private facility.
We all know how public schools looks like – and Kipkeino School can easily pass for a private school.
However, it is now emerging that the school was actually registered as a public one.
Who owns Kipkeino School?
While the fact that Kipkeino School is a public facility, details show it was founded Phyllis Keino.
It was initially meant to serve the children of Lewa Children’s Home and other disadvantaged youths in the surrounding area.
Phyllis also runs Baraka Farm which produces fresh milk and Gouda cheese, providing food and income for the Lewa Children’s Home and Kipkeino Primary School.
Circumstances under which Kipkeino School was registered as a public institution remains unclear.
Kipkeino School fees?
With the debate on the status of the Kipkeino School ongoing, locals in the area have equally been surprised with revelations that it is a public one.
Unlike public schools that are almost free, learners at Kipkeino School pay as high as Ksh 25,000 per term in school fees.
The school offers education not only to children at the Lewa Children’s Home but also other Kenyans with the ability to raise the fees set.
What’s the difference between a public and private school?
Section 43 of the Basic Education Act categorises basic educational institutions into two primary groups – public and private schools.
Public schools are established, owned, or operated by the government while private schools are schools established, owned, or operated by private individuals, entrepreneurs, or institutions.
The Act states that a public basic education institution cannot be converted into a private basic education institution or any other private status without consultation with the National Education Board and approval by the Cabinet Secretary.
