Three in 10 Grade 9 learners sought to change their Senior School choices, the ministry has revealed, even as the government allayed fears of the thousands whose requests have been rejected as the seven-day window to revise their choices ended on Monday.
As the portal officially shut, the Ministry confirmed it had received over 350,000 requests from learners dissatisfied with their initial senior school placement.
Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok told the Daily Nation the ministry had processed over 200,000 requests, approving more than 150,000 applications, allowing learners to move to alternative schools where merit and available capacity permitted.
The ministry reiterated that placement reviews are strictly guided by merit and capacity, noting that high demand for Cluster One (national) and Cluster 2 (extra county) schools has limited the number of approvals.
"Out of more than 350,000 requests, the ministry has processed over 200,000 applications, with more than 150,000 learners approved and successfully moved to their new schools. What we are doing after the window closes today is taking time to review the remaining cases and then decide whether an extension will be allowed,” said the PS.
The PS said there is a lot of interest, and students are keen on changing schools, whether horizontally or vertically.
“Their movements are happening across the system," he said.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok addresses participants during the launch of the Educational Assessment Resource Centre at New Mitihani House, Nairobi on July 4, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
Prof Bitok further clarified that learners whose requests were declined have not lost their placements, stressing that every learner already has a school.
“I want to make it clear that every learner already has a school. Even if their request is rejected, they still have a placement, so no one is left without a school. You are simply moving from one school to another where possible,” Prof Bitok added.
The PS said that by January 12, all the inaugural 1.13 million Grade 9 students will report to their respective schools.
But while the government talks of merit, many parents are fighting a battle of affordability. Nation visited several schools, including Miritini World Bank Primary, where parents camped from 8:00 am to navigate the hanging digital system as the deadline collapsed.
For Hellen Linda Obanda, the mission was to move her sister, Cynthia Nabwire, from a boarding school in Taita Taveta to a local day school in Mombasa due to financial challenges.
“She was placed in Mwasere Girls High School, but we want a day school because we cannot afford boarding fees. But the system has been hanging, and we are scared the deadline has caught us off-guard,” said Ms Obanda.
Cynthia, 16, who met expectations in her KJSEA, expressed fears over the revision. The government’s Senior School Implementation Guidelines revised all categories of boarding schools, capped at Sh53,554, as per Gazette Notice No. 1555 of March 10, 2015.
“My parents are jobless. The Ministry should consider children from humble backgrounds; you cannot place me in a boarding school that my parents can't afford,” she said during an interview in her junior school.
Abdulrahim Hussein, 17, who was placed in a day school in Wajir, despite living at the Coast and having never visited the North Eastern region, is seeking a transfer to St Charles Lwanga in Mombasa.
Angel Achieng', 15, who was placed in Ruthimitu in Nairobi, is seeking a slot in Kombeni Girls in Kilifi County.
By Saturday, the Ministry said it had received 343,000 placement revision requests, accounting for about 33 per cent of the candidates, as parents and learners rush to secure placements in top-tier institutions.
According to the Ministry, 183,000 requests have been processed, with 116,000 approved and changes effected, while 66,000 were declined, largely due to merit-based cut-off points and capacity constraints.
“We have more than 50,000 learners applying for only 20 national schools, yet the available slots are very limited. That is why, so far, 67,000 learners have been declined based on merit and capacity. Placement must strictly follow these criteria, and not all requests can be approved.
PS Bitok said learners should also take note of the schools available on the placement portal and apply to institutions where they qualify.
“Learners whose requests for placement changes have been declined due to merit or capacity constraints are encouraged to reapply to other schools where they meet the requirements,” added the PS.
On Tuesday last week, the Ministry of Education launched the digital platform to allow parents and school administrators to request changes to placements into senior secondary schools, a move aimed at easing anxiety among learners dissatisfied with their initial school or pathway allocations.
The PS said the revision period was intended to address cases where candidates are uncomfortable with their assigned school, while ensuring the process remains fair, transparent and aligned with national placement guidelines.
Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA) Chairman, Mr Fuad Ali, noted that despite the friction, the exercise has been largely successful.
“Children have requested changes; there are those who have been successful, but others haven’t. But the progress is going well. But placement depends on the availability of slots. If schools they have applied for, and there is a vacancy, the child is placed there; if not, they are taken to a neighbouring school,” said Mr Ali.
Kenya Primary School Heads Association chairperson Fuad Ali.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
With the portal now closed, the Ministry will spend the next few days reviewing the remaining cases before deciding if a final, brief extension is necessary.
As the final countdown to the Monday deadline expired, primary school head teachers across the country were forced to burn the midnight oil, tethered to their computers in a last-ditch effort to secure placements for their learners.
