Ogamba under pressure as MPs demand strict school uniform policy

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. /SCREENGRAB

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has come under sharp scrutiny from lawmakers over the lack of a clear and enforceable school uniform policy, with MPs accusing institutions of exploiting parents through inflated costs.

Members of Parliament on Wednesday questioned why some schools continue to defy a presidential directive requiring them to admit learners even without official uniforms.

The legislators argued that the absence of firm policy guidelines has created loopholes that schools are using to commercialise uniforms at exorbitant prices.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah criticised school administrations for turning uniforms and lunch levies into punitive tools, saying learners are being sent home for failing to meet these requirements.

“No child should be humiliated because a parent is struggling. The Ministry of Education must rein in these excesses and restore dignity to our learners and schools,” he said.

Ogamba had appeared before the House to respond to questions on ongoing reforms in the education sector, but MPs pressed him to explain why enforcement of existing directives remains weak.

Lawmakers also took issue with the requirement for learners transitioning from primary school to Junior Secondary School (JSS) to purchase new uniforms, even though the junior schools are domiciled within the same institutions.

Ichung’wah urged the ministry to issue clear policy guidelines ahead of the next academic year to prevent unnecessary financial strain on parents.

“I want you (Speaker) to direct that he comes with a policy guideline on the question of uniforms so that parents next year know we will not buy uniform for JSS students,” he said.

He further warned that school heads who defy ministry circulars—particularly those sending learners home over uniforms or unpaid lunch fees—should face sanctions, with their names tabled in Parliament to compel action by the Teachers Service Commission.

“Don’t tell us we have a list that we have sanctioned. We want to see the list of teachers you are sanctioning so that as a House we take the Teachers Service Commission to account. If you have given TSC names of teachers contravening circulars and nothing is being done, we have powers over TSC and we will act,” he said.

The Kikuyu MP noted that parents and learners continue to suffer due to non-compliance by school heads, despite existing directives intended to ease the burden.

“Parents are still buying uniforms in schools against your guidelines. Parents are still being directed where to go and buy uniforms if they are not being sold in school. When Grade 10 learners were reporting, vendors had already set up shop in schools. When did our schools stop being centres of learning and become shops for uniforms?” he posed.

Ichung’wah cited Article 43 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to education, arguing that strict and commercialised school requirements undermine access and equity.

He said stringent guidelines on uniforms and lunch programmes risk violating this provision, and called on the ministry to treat the issue with urgency.

“The CS and the Ministry of Education must take this matter of school uniform with the seriousness it deserves. You are simply being too casual with access to education for our children,” he said.