DEVELOPMENT LEVIES AND LEARNERS' PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN WEST POKOT COUNTY, KENYA

Authors

  • Elvis Kokwo Department of Educational Planning and Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • Jane Barasa Department of Educational Planning and Management, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • Julius Maiyo Department of Educational Planning and Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i11.7071

Keywords:

development levies, learner participation, school infrastructure, Free Day Secondary Education, West Pokot County

Abstract

This study examined the effect of development levies on learners' participation in public day secondary schools in West Pokot County, Kenya, guided by the null hypothesis that development levies have no statistically significant effect on learner participation. Data were collected from 113 students, 37 parents, and 32 principals using structured questionnaires and interviews. Descriptively, both students (composite mean = 2.72) and parents (composite mean = 2.53) leaned toward agreeing that high development levies constrain enrolment and retention, with near-unanimous agreement across both groups that low-income learners bear a disproportionate share of the burden (r = .685, p < .001), the strongest association observed in the model. Bivariate regression confirmed that development levies significantly predicted learner participation, F (1, 125) = 76.140, p < .001, explaining 37.9% of the variance (R² = .379); the null hypothesis was accordingly rejected. Qualitative accounts from principals revealed a structural paradox underlying this statistical relationship: levy-funded construction was credited with improving facilities and, in principals' assessment, attendance, yet delayed or inconsistent parental payment routinely stalled projects, leaving incomplete facilities that temporarily undermined the same participation outcomes the levies were meant to secure. The study concludes that development levies function as a financially necessary but distributionally regressive mechanism for infrastructure financing, one whose benefits and burdens are not shared equally across household income levels, and recommends government-regulated levy ceilings, mandatory exemptions for low-income households, and expanded direct capitation for infrastructure to reduce schools' reliance on parental contributions.

Author Biographies

  • Elvis Kokwo, Department of Educational Planning and Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Elvis Kokwo works as a trained teacher. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Mount Kenya University and is currently a PhD candidate in Educational Leadership at Kibabii University. He is passionate about transforming educational outcomes through evidence-based leadership and effective school management. His work bridges the gap between government policy and classroom practice in one of Kenya’s most dynamic regions.

  • Jane Barasa, Department of Educational Planning and Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Dr. Jane Barasa is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Kibabii University in Bungoma, where she teaches in the Department of Education Foundations and Educational Planning and Management. She holds a PhD in Educational Management and Policy Studies, awarded in 2018 by Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST). Her research interests include education management and administration, policy studies, and research in education.

  • Julius Maiyo, Department of Educational Planning and Management, Kibabii University, Kenya

    Prof. Julius Kiprop Maiyo is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Planning, Partnerships, Research and Innovation at Kibabii University, a position he assumed in February 2025. He previously served as Dean of the School of Education and as Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. He is a professor of Economics of Education and Planning and holds a PhD in Education from the University of Pune, India. He has led an IDRC-funded multi-country teacher mentorship project and has secured DAAD grants to support leadership training in higher education. His research interests include education access, equity and efficiency, quality assurance, and performance contracting. He has also served as a peer reviewer for the Commission for University Education and the Inter-University Council of East Africa, and he has been appointed secretary-general of the East Africa Quality Assurance Network.

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Published

2026-10-14

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 11 (2026)

Section

Articles

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