Bulk SMS · Schools
Bulk SMS for Schools in Kenya
Send fee reminders, KCSE & KCPE results, attendance alerts, and parent updates from one dashboard — with your school name as the sender. Trusted by Kenyan primary and secondary schools, with M-Pesa Paybill billing and rates negotiated per school.
+254 111 336 506 · hello@xyratechnology.co.ke · same-business-day account setup
What schools send
Built for the way Kenyan schools actually communicate with parents
Fee balance reminders
Send personalised KES balances to every parent at the start of term — and weekly nudges until cleared. One template, thousands of merged recipients.
KCSE / KCPE / mock results
Release results securely to parents the moment they're confirmed — no more queues at the bursar's office, no more crowded notice boards.
Attendance & event alerts
Notify parents the same minute a learner doesn't sign in for morning prep. Send AGM, sports day, and closing-date reminders to the whole parent list in seconds.
Bursary, scholarship & transport updates
Send shortlists, interview invitations, transport route changes, and emergency alerts directly — even when WhatsApp groups are silent.
Why schools choose Xyra
A bulk SMS provider that understands Kenyan schools, not a global SaaS dashboard
Branded sender ID
Parents see your school name as the sender (e.g. GREENVIEW), not a random short number. Sender ID registration is included and handled for you in 2–5 business days.
Per-school negotiated rate
New accounts typically start around KES 0.60 per SMS and drop to KES 0.40–0.50 as your term volume grows. No package commitments — just one rate on your account.
M-Pesa Paybill top-ups
Top up the SMS wallet via M-Pesa Paybill or bank transfer. VAT-compliant receipts are issued automatically — clean for the bursar's books.
Delivery reports per message
Know exactly which parents received the fee reminder and which didn't. Useful when a parent claims they never got the notice.
Upload from Excel
Paste or upload your parent list (with merge fields like {{name}}, {{balance}}) and send to thousands in one click.
Local support
Talk to a Nairobi-based account manager on WhatsApp the same business day — not a global ticket queue.
Cost
What it costs a Kenyan school
Xyra Bulk SMS uses per-account pricing. New school accounts typically start around KES 0.60 per SMS and the rate is adjusted down to KES 0.40–0.50 as your term volume grows.
| Scenario | Parents | Per SMS | Cost per send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small primary, fee reminder | 400 | KES 0.60 | KES 240 |
| Mid-size primary, weekly reminders | 1,200 | KES 0.55 | KES 660 |
| Large secondary, results release | 2,500 | KES 0.50 | KES 1,250 |
Indicative rates for messages of ~1 GSM-7 segment. Messages over 160 characters or with accented/emoji content are billed per 2 segments. Talk to us for an exact quote.
Getting started
From first call to first SMS — usually the same day
- 1
WhatsApp or email us
Tell us your school name, number of parents, and rough monthly volume. We quote a per-SMS rate on the spot.
- 2
We provision your account
We create your dashboard login and start the sender ID registration with the carriers (2–5 business days).
- 3
Top up via M-Pesa Paybill
Load any amount as SMS credits. VAT-compliant receipt issued automatically.
- 4
Upload your parent list & send
Paste or upload the parent contacts, use merge fields for personalised balances, and click send.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions from schools
How much does it cost to send SMS from a school in Kenya?+
On Xyra Bulk SMS, schools typically start at around KES 0.60 per SMS and the rate drops to KES 0.40–0.50 as your term volume grows. A typical primary school sending one fee reminder per term to 800 parents (~1 segment each) spends well under KES 500 per send.
Can the SMS show our school name as the sender?+
Yes. We register an alphanumeric sender ID with the carriers on your behalf (up to 11 characters, e.g. GREENVIEW, KARIOBANGI, or your shortened school name). Registration usually takes 2–5 business days and is included with your account.
How do parents receive the messages?+
As normal SMS on any phone — basic feature phones and smartphones alike. No app required, no internet needed on the parent's side. Delivery is to Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom Kenya.
Can I send different fee balances to each parent?+
Yes. Upload your parent list with columns like name, phone, balance, then use merge fields ({{name}}, {{balance}}) in the template. Each parent receives a personalised message.
How do we pay?+
Top up the SMS wallet via M-Pesa Paybill or bank transfer. We issue a VAT-compliant receipt automatically for every top-up — the bursar can attach it to the school's books directly.
Is there a monthly subscription fee?+
No. There is no monthly platform fee and no minimum commitment. You pay only for the SMS you send.
Can we integrate it with our school management system?+
Yes. We expose a simple JSON HTTP API at docs.xyratechnology.co.ke that your school MIS or ERP vendor can call directly. We've worked with several Kenyan school systems already.
Ready to send your first SMS to parents?
Tell us how many parents you message in a typical term and we'll quote a per-SMS rate and provision your school account the same business day.