Kenya’s basic education enters a historic phase today as the pioneer Grade 10 of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) learners transition to senior school, marking the final stretch of the CBE rollout.
The learners will study in three pathways: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports.
Principal Secretary for Basic Education Prof Julius Bitok.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok on Sunday explained that the admission process will be fully digital, conducted through the same system used during the selection exercise, to enhance transparency and efficiency. He added that by the end of the week, the Education ministry expects to have a clear picture of how many students have reported to schools.
While the transition is celebrated as a milestone, it faces significant challenges, including a shortage of teachers, infrastructure gaps and the urgent need to deliver textbooks to the 1.13 million students.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has highlighted a critical deficit in technical subjects, including marine and fisheries, agriculture, and creative arts. According to the commission, the country needs 35,000 teachers for Stem, 14,600 for Social Sciences, and 8,778 for Arts and Sports.
Although the government has committed to building 1,600 laboratories, many schools currently lack the facilities required to teach practical subjects such as electricity and aviation.
Education stakeholders warn that failing to address these gaps could create a two-tier system favouring learners in top-tier schools and widening the urban-rural education divide.
“We want to assure parents that teachers are prepared to receive Grade 10 CBE candidates joining senior school from Monday. Our teachers are equipped with the competencies, skills and confidence required to meet the diverse learning needs of our students,” she said.
The Teachers Service Commission Acting CEO Eveleen Mitei.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Groip
“While facilities may not currently allow for full implementation, the commission is determined to address the existing teacher shortages in the new learning areas to ensure learners can explore their potential,” Ms Mitei added.
Statistics from the Ministry of Education indicate that more than half of the transitioning learners have chosen the Stem pathway, 437,000 opted for Social Sciences, and 124,000 selected Arts and Sports.
In Mombasa, Mama Ngina High School Chief Principal Mwanahamisi Omar, also an official of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, said they are ready to receive Grade 10 learners. The school has a capacity of 450 Grade 10 students.
“We are ready to receive Grade 10 learners, but we have received additional requests which we are forwarding to the ministry for approval. As a C1 school, we have the capacity to offer all three pathways,” Ms Omar said.
Masons put final touches to a building that will host Grade 10 classrooms at Langalanga Mixed Day Secondary School in Nakuru City on January 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Prof Bitok said the ministry is conducting a second review of Grade 10 placements to address parental concerns. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba added that teachers have been retooled and re-oriented to the new system.
“The primary objective is to strengthen teaching and learning in our schools and improve educational outcomes. To enhance access, we are expanding infrastructure across basic education institutions. In the 2024/2025 financial year, we built a record 23,000 classrooms to support the transition of the first Grade 9 cohort,” the CS said.
He added that 1,600 laboratories will be constructed this year in various senior schools to support practical learning.
“We continue to support learners with capitation in fulfilment of the government’s obligation to provide free and compulsory basic education. For this school year, we released Sh44.2 billion in capitation for all public basic education institutions ahead of school opening. This is the first time in over a decade that capitation has been disbursed before schools open,” he said.
Mr Ogamba also directed heads of institutions to ensure prudent use of public resources and warned against imposing extra levies or fees.
Even as the Grade 10 learners report today, schools are yet to receive the textbooks they are to use. However, last week, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and the Kenya Publishers Association held a joint meeting to plan the printing and nationwide distribution of Grade 10 textbooks.
Demands for illegal levies—including clearance of remedial fees, motivation fees for teachers and replacement of lost textbooks—are among the obstacles threatening the full transition of students to Grade 10, civil society groups have warned.
Carpenters repair desk lockers at Langalanga Mixed Day Secondary School in Nakuru City on January 11, 2026.
According to the Elimu Bora Working Group—a consortium of rights groups including the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Uraia Trust, National Students Caucus and the Universities Academic Staff Union—thousands of students risk missing their slots.
“Approximately 1.13 million CBC/CBE pioneer students will be reporting to senior school Monday but the majority face a risk of missing their slots due to a systemic failure of the online placement system that has exposed parents to corruption,” said Cornelius Oduor, Deputy Executive Director of KHRC, during a press briefing in Nairobi.
The group also reported that some learners’ Kenya Junior School Education Assessment transcripts have been withheld over illegal levies, directly undermining their right to education. Parents have been asked to pay fees not sanctioned under the Free Day Secondary Education policy, with schools citing budget shortfalls and delayed government disbursements.
“For those lucky enough to make it, they will face classes lacking essential equipment and demotivated staff, as the William Ruto administration has consistently underfunded the education sector,” Mr Oduor said.
Placement errors have further compounded the crisis. Some students have been assigned pathways that do not align with their interests or abilities, while others have been posted to distant day schools, disregarding proximity. The backlash has been significant, with 355,457 learners applying for placement reviews by December 2025. Of these, 143,821 appeals were rejected, largely due to overcrowding in preferred schools.
The lobby has issued several demands to the Ministry of Education, including an urgent resolution of placement challenges, a comprehensive audit of school infrastructure and a review of the automated placement system to enhance transparency and flexibility.
The group also called for an immediate directive banning the withholding of academic transcripts over illegal levies and the establishment of a whistleblower mechanism to report corruption in admissions and school finances.
