Ruto Insists All Government Payments Must Be Made Via eCitizen Platform
President William Ruto has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to digitising all government payments through the eCitizen platform, despite a recent High Court ruling declaring school fee payments via the system unconstitutional.
Speaking at the 3rd National Executive Retreat on Thursday, June 19, Ruto said the government would not retreat from its digital agenda and would soon engage institutional heads who have resisted the transition to the eCitizen platform. He accused those opposed of having ulterior motives.
“There are some institutions that still don’t want to pay in eCitizen because they have things to hide,” Ruto stated. “They still use exercise books to write their receipts, but we want to tell them that the era of transparency is here.”
Ruto urged parents to push schools to adopt the digital payment method, arguing that the platform fosters transparency and accountability across public institutions. He also praised schools that have already complied with the directive.
The debate around the digitisation of school fee payments began with a circular issued by then-Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang on January 31, 2024. The directive instructed all public school fees and levies to be paid exclusively through the eCitizen platform, triggering backlash from educators and parents who claimed they were not adequately consulted.
On April 1, 2025, Justice Chacha Mwita ruled in favour of a petition by Nakuru-based activist Magare Gikenyi and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). The court found that the government’s directive lacked public participation and imposed an unjustified Ksh50 convenience fee, rendering it unconstitutional.
“High Court has declared the Ministry of Education’s directive on payment of school fees via the eCitizen platform irrational, capricious, unconstitutional, null and void,” said lawyer Omochokoro O’mong’oni, who represented LSK in the case.
Despite the ruling, Ruto emphasized that the government remains committed to digitisation and would continue working to ensure full adoption of the eCitizen platform in all public institutions.
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Ruto Insists All Government Payments Must Be Made Via eCitizen Platform