One of the main achievements of former president Mwai Kibaki was the introduction of free primary education when he took office in 2002.
But even with the introduction, education has always been expensive in Kenya. Parents have had to pay for tuition fees, buy expensive books, and sometimes even forced to pay for extra teachers, not to mention that education in public schools has always been inferior.
One of the leading critics of the education system in Kenya blamed the 8-4-4 system for being inadequate, which forced the government to seek an alternative. They settled on Competency-Based Curriculum [CBC], which has also received a lot of criticism, especially for being expensive and putting an extra burden on parents.
But not all parents are stuck with public schools being the only option for their kids. Deep-pocket parents who want their students to excel faster in life have the alternative of paying a lot extra for private’s schools.
Some expensive schools do not teach the Kenya curriculum and tend to have non-Kenyan names. They rely on the British national curriculum, North American curriculum, or the german curriculum, which sets them apart from other schools in Kenya and prepares the students for studies abroad.
Below are the top ten expensive schools in Kenya
10. The German School Nairobi
Founded in 1969, The German School Nairobi is one of the few schools in Kenya that teaches the German curriculum (Thuringian). It is located in Nairobi along Limuru road in the leafy suburbs of Gigiri, directly opposite the Village Market and close to United Nations Headquarters.
Students are expected to come from a German-speaking family or be willing to learn the language. The school also offers the German International Baccalaureate [DIAP].
The school may not be among the most expensive, but parents must cough over 1 million shillings to enroll their children. To register as a first-year student at the school, you must pay a one-time enrollment fee of Ksh 120,217, a one-time deposit fee of Ksh 120,217, and an annual tuition fee of Ksh 909,559, which totals Ksh 1,149,992.
9. Kenton College Preparatory School
Founded in 1924, Kenton College Preparatory School is one of the oldest in Kenya. It was formerly located at Kijabe before moving to Kileleshwa after parents complained of the school being very isolated.
During world war II the institution was taken over by the military, and the school was forced to relocate to Westwood park Hotel in Ngong but later returned after the war.
Although the little-known school does not have a large student population, it boasts of bridging the racial discrimination gap by bringing together students of all races. According to its website, the school has more than 30 nationalities represented.
Despite being a day school with less than 300 students, the school is considered one of the top 500 preparatory schools in the world. The tuition fee here is 1,921,500 per year, with an admission fee of ksh 100,000 and a non-refundable registration fee of Ksh 10,000.
The school was founded by Scottish artists Finlay Cramb. Cramb died in 2013, and it is unclear who owns the school now.
Notable alums include Gideon Moi, Jason, and Martin Dunford.
8. Banda School
Banda School is one of the top international schools in Kenya that offer the British education system. It is located in Nairobi along Magadi road opposite the Nairobi National park.
The school has class levels for children between 2-13 years and prides itself on being at the forefront of e-learning in Kenya by providing iPads for all pupils in years 6 and above.
The annual fee ranges from 210,600 to 2,089,800.
The school was established in 1966 by Mr. and Mrs. Jim Chitty, who still owns it.
Some notable alumni of the school include Olympic Gold Medal-winning English field hockey player Crista Cullen.
7. Braeburn Imani international school
Located on Mangu road in Thika town, Braeburn School was established in 1969.
It was formerly known as Imani school before the Braeburn group of an international school in January 2011 acquired it. Braeburn offers an early British school, Primary, Grammar, and Sixth curriculum based on the national curriculum of England and Wales.
The annual fee is between Ksh 812,700 to Ksh 1,979,800.
This school is owned by the Braeburn Group of International Schools, with nine campuses and 16 schools across Kenya and Tanzania.
The school has 4 campuses in Nairobi, one in Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nanyuki, and two in Tanzania.
Of all the schools under the Braeburn group of international Schools, only the Braeburn Imani offers full boarding hence the most expensive.
The annual fee in another Braeburn School ranges between ksh 300,000 to 2 million.
Some notable alumni of this school include Kenya YouTuber Eloide Zone, who has openly spoken about the bullying she went through at the school.
Others include media personality Julie Gichuru.
6. Hillcrest school
Hillcrest school offers various levels that cater to every stage of education: Hillcrest Early Years, Hillcrest Preparatory, Hillcrest Secondary, and Hillcrest Senior School.
It’s located at the Nairobi urban estate in Karen. It was founded in 1965, and students are taught using the British curriculum.
The tuition fee ranges from ksh 733,800 to Ksh 2,398,725 per annum.
Braeburn Schools Limited acquired the school in January from Dubai-based GEMS Education, which also owned GEMS Cambridge International School, which was closed in 2019.
Some notable alumni include Singer turned Bishop Linet Munyali, popularly known as Size 8, TV personalities Edith Kimani and Michelle Morghan.
5. Peponi School
Peponi School is among the leading learning institutions in Kenya. It was founded in 1989 and is based on the British independent school system. The school is reportedly owned by the Kenyatta family, and it’s located at the Kenyatta family-owned Gicheha farm in Ruiru.
The school also promotes extra curriculum activities like Karate, Taekwondo, trampolines, and Chess, among others.
The annual fee at Peponi ranges between Kshs 2,194,530 to 3 Million ($25,000) depending on whether a student is a full boarder, weekly boarder, or day scholar.
4. Brookhouse School
Located in Langata, Nairobi County, Brookhouse School is an independent British curriculum co-educational day and boarding school that offer early years, preparatory and secondary education. Here, parents have to pay ksh 45,000 for admission fees, ksh 100,000 caution money for day students and ksh 200,000 for boarding students, while the tuition fee ranges between 245,000 to ksh 600,000 per year for day school students and ksh950,000 to ksh 2,505,000 for boarding students.
The school has two campuses in Kenya, in Runda and Karen, and it’s one of Kenya’s highly-ranked International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) schools.
Piyush Mehta founded Brookhouse in 1981 but sold it in 2015 to Educas, a United Kingdom-based private equity fund, for Sh3.6 billion.
Alums of the school include Kenyan paleontologist and anthropologist Louise Leakey, Kenyan Musician Issah Mmari Wangui popularly known as E-Sir, Nikita Kering, Eric Wainaina, and TV personality Janet Mbugua.
3. St. Andrews, Turi
Located in Turi between Nakuru and Kericho, this school came to the attention of Kenyans in 2019 when it revealed its menu on social media. The menu that befits five-star hotel standards included cereal, bacon, Chinese-style pork fillet, Turkey tagine, veggie moussaka, and many other food items that many Kenyans had never heard of.
The school was founded in 1931 by a Scottish family, Peter and Jean Laver, and named after the patron saint of Scotland. It was reconstructed by Italian war prisoners in 1941 after it was razed down by fire.
Here the fee ranges between ksh 650,000 to 3.5 million per year, depending on the year in school and whether a student is a day scholar or attending boarding school.
For example, for years 12-13, parents have to pay a whopping ksh 1,074,000 per term.
St Andrews-Turi is responsible for nurturing Kenya’s former first lady Margaret Kenyatta, former British politician Douglas Carswell who served as a member of Parliament from 2005 to 2017, and Moses Arita, a Kenyan Footballer who currently plays for Western Stima Football club.
2. Greensted International School
Founded in 1936, Greensted School is among the oldest international schools in Kenya, located along the Naivasha-Nakuru highway. This school may not be famous, but the fee structure makes it stands out.
Greensteds school prides itself on offering a conducive and child-friendly environment where children in their early years can enjoy a personalized learning experience. The school offers the British Curriculum.
Tuition fees range between 1 million to Ksh 3 million depending on the class and whether boarding or day.
For years 12-13, boarding student pay Ksh 2,685,000. You will also have to pay a non-refundable admission fee of Ksh 25,000 for early years, Ksh 50,000 for residents in years 1-13, and Ksh 200,000 for non-residents. A refundable caution fee of 20,000 for early years and 50,000 for the rest is also required.
Some notable alumni include Kenyan Fashion model Ajuma Nasanyana. She has worked with Victoria’s Secret and Carlos Mienes.
1. The International School of Kenya (ISK)
The International School of Kenya (ISK) is arguably the most expensive in Kenya and East Africa. The institution, founded in 1976, is co-owned by the US embassy and the Canadian government. Unlike other Kenyan schools, the school year is divided into two semesters, with the first semester lasting from January to early June and from early August to December.
The school is also the most prominent international school in east Africa that offers the North American curriculum and an International Baccalaureate program.
In 2022/2023, Parents here have to part with an annual fee ranging between ksh 2,181,635 to ksh 4,030,823 (Approximately $30,000 per year)
As a symbol of pride, on its website ISK notes the school’s student body has more than 65 nationalities represented, 1000 student population and a 10:1 student-teacher ratio per class. Must be nice.
ISK’s notable alums include renowned English Photojournalist Dan Eldon, Canadian author, and dietitian Karen Graham, and the Ehsani siblings, whose family owns the Village Market in Nairobi and the Tribe Hotel.