National

Education committee pursues PS Bitok over eCitizen payment protocol

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok leads heads of the Directorate of the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services during a retreat in Mombasa on April 8, 2024. Photo: X/JuliusKBitok

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Friday, April 12, 2024

The government endorsed the use of eCitizen for school fee payments across all levels of education in February, following a cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House.

Members of Parliament have given Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok seven days to appear before the National Assembly's Education Committee to answer queries on paying school fees via the eCitizen platform.

Bitok allegedly missed three consecutive committee meetings. On Thursday, the Julius Melly-led committee expressed concern that the PS was not taking the committee seriously.

Keep reading

"We will write him a letter telling him the committee is not happy. If he misses to show up again, as guided by standing orders, we will summon him. We give him 7 days to appear or we will summon him," he said.

PS Bitok was summoned to appear before the committee on March 6, 2024, but he failed to attend.

In response, he sent a letter explaining his absence, citing work commitments abroad.

Subsequently, the committee rescheduled his appearance for March 20, 2024, which he declined due to a prior engagement at the State House.

On Thursday (April 11, 2024), Bitok was again expected to appear, but he was reportedly at a retreat.

In his correspondence, he mentioned a meeting with the head of Public Service, Felix Koskei in Mombasa on April 12, preventing his attendance.

Consequently, the committee granted him one final opportunity to present himself.

MPs sought clarification from the PS regarding the process for parents paying school fees on the eCitizen platform.

The government endorsed the use of eCitizen for school fee payments across all levels of education in February, following a cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House.

This decision coincided with a High Court ruling extending an injunction against the government's mandate for schools to use the eCitizen platform for fee payments.

Justice Mwita had suspended the circular issued by Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang on January 31, requiring parents, guardians, and students to pay fees and other levies through the platform.

Other stakeholders in the education sector, including teachers, had objected to the government's plan to adopt eCitizen.

The government began implementing the pilot project, compelling the 112 national schools across the country to use the eCitizen platform for school fee payment.

However, the Cabinet approved using the eCitizen platform for school fee payments in all learning institutions across the country.