Parents Demand Breakdown of Readmission Levy Imposed After Unrest at Ambira Boys

Fresh questions are emerging from parents of students at Ambira High School in Ugunja, Siaya County, as the institution prepares to reopen following violent student unrest that led to its closure on 19th May 2026.

In an official notice dated 30th May 2026, the school administration announced that the Board of Management (BOM) and multi-agency team had assessed the damage and resolved on a phased reopening. The school is scheduled to reopen on Sunday, 31st May 2026, with classes resuming as follows:

Grade 10: Tuesday, 2nd June 2026

Form 4: Monday, 8th June 2026

Form 3: Thursday, 11th June 2026

Students have been instructed to report within the specified dates.

The notice states that a Public Works assessment put the total infrastructure damage at KSh 50,000,000, with each student required to pay a one-off penalty of KSh 33,000 towards the damages. Parents are expected to surrender payment slips or bank slips on the readmission date.

The mandatory levy has triggered widespread concern among guardians, many of whom are demanding a transparent, itemised breakdown of how the KSh 33,000 per student figure was calculated and how it relates to the total KSh 50 million damage assessment.

Parents argue that they should not be subjected to blanket fees without a clear, verifiable report on the actual property damage caused during the strike. A parents’ representative noted that families are already grappling with the high cost of living and regular school fees, describing the additional unverified levy as an unbearable burden.

The Ministry of Education guidelines require school Boards of Management to conduct accurate damage assessments before billing parents - a protocol many guardians claim was not adequately followed in this case.

While school management boards have in the past defended such immediate levies as necessary for fast-tracking emergency repairs to dormitories and classrooms ahead of national examinations, the current standoff threatens to delay the phased reopening.

At the time of reporting, the school administration had not released a detailed public breakdown of the damages or justification for the per-student penalty. Education officials in Siaya County are expected to intervene and meet with the school board to resolve the funding dispute.

The developments have once again highlighted systemic issues around accountability when student unrest leads to significant infrastructure damage across Kenyan schools.