KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ministry of Education and Sports has endorsed SchoolPay, a digital school fees payment system, as a critical tool for improving accountability and financial discipline in Ugandan schools.
Speaking at an education financing symposium, Juliet Muzoora, the commissioner for government secondary education, said the system has eased the burden on parents by allowing them to pay fees from home, eliminating the risks associated with cash payments.
“Parents are now able to pay school fees directly into the school account from the comfort of their homes and immediately receive confirmation from both the school and the bank,” Muzoora said. “This eliminates the risks of children carrying money to schools and helps reduce the stress parents face.”
Muzoora also noted that the system, which includes electronic wristbands for managing student pocket money, helps teach children financial discipline.
She urged fintech companies to expand their digital solutions to track government education funds, such as capitation grants, to enhance transparency and reduce paperwork.
“As a ministry, we are grateful for this innovation. But we are also challenging service providers to think beyond fees payment and help us digitally monitor school grants,” she said.
Muzoora encouraged schools to use the platform’s flexible payment options to prevent students from being sent home for non-payment.
“No child should be denied education because of failure to pay fees in one installment,” she said.
The symposium, hosted by SchoolPay, focused on “Building a Resilient Education Value Chain: Financing Models for Sustainable Growth.”
Joseph Kiiza Ndiho, executive chairman of Service Cops, which developed SchoolPay, described the platform as an integrated value chain system that connects parents, schools, banks, and suppliers.
“It is a single source of truth for data that can be used to shape certain decisions, whether at the policy level or at different levels,” Ndiho said.
Tineyi Mawocha, chief program officer and Africa regional director at Opportunity International, highlighted the magnitude of the education crisis in Africa, noting that 61 million children are excluded from classrooms. He cited World Bank data showing that about 70% of children in low- and middle-income countries who complete primary school cannot read a simple story.
Mawocha said that while African governments allocate up to 20% of their budgets to education, limited fiscal space and weak revenues have created a significant funding gap. He noted that Opportunity International has invested over $1 billion into education and that products like school improvement and fee loans have helped parents keep children in class.
“Eighty-five percent of parents who accessed loans returned their children to school,” he said. Mawocha also pointed to the growing role of digital platforms, such as Furaha, which support fee payments for millions of children in Uganda.
“Africa stands at a crossroads with the youngest and fastest-growing population. Our choices today will shape the continent’s future,” Mawocha urged.
Other speakers at the event also emphasized the role of technology.
Milly Kyolaba, head of banking and strategic partnerships at Stanbic Bank, said the bank has developed solutions to stabilize school operations during cash flow disruptions.
“We have developed products specifically for schools to support cyclic cash flow,” she explained.
Muganga Osbert, head of new markets at ServiceCops, emphasized technology’s transformative role, while Rashid Musisi Ssemmanda, chief manager of corporate and institutional banking at Centenary Bank, cautioned against relying on cash.
“Carrying cash is risky for schools. Digital solutions create a transparent footprint that allows financial institutions to design tailored products,” Ssemmanda said. “We must popularize these innovations and not revert to analog.”
Peninah Namubiru, head of enterprise and SMEs at Airtel Uganda, praised the widespread adoption of mobile money. “SchoolPay via Airtel Money has made fees payment convenient and widely accepted,” she said.
