Members of Parliament are considering a motion that, if passed, will change the way Grade 9 learners are enrolled in secondary schools, beginning January 2027.
The motion, proposed by Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo, seeks to compel the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, to cap the number of streams that each cluster of schools can admit each year.
The motion proposes capping the number of streams at 10 for C-1 schools, eight for C-2 schools, five for C-3 schools and three for C-4 schools, with no more than 40 students per stream.
C1 schools are former national schools, which are mainly elite boarding institutions equipped with premium resources for highly competitive academic and career pathways. Cluster 2 (C2) schools are former extra-county schools, which are mostly regional boarding institutions serving a broader student base.
Cluster 3 consists mainly of former county schools that primarily serve students from across the county, while Cluster 4 consists mainly of local community-based day schools accessible within a learner's sub-county.
Grade 10 learners report to Kapsabet Boys High School in Nandi County during admission day on January 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
According to data released by the Ministry of Education in December last year, only 204 public schools are classified as Cluster 1, compared to 692 in Cluster 2, another 1,373 in Cluster 3 and the bulk, 7,234, in Cluster 4.
Mr Gisairo reckons that if the admission formula is adopted from January 2027, the problem of overcrowding in high schools will be addressed.
“If we take 400 Grade 10 learners in 2027, 2028 and 2029, it means in only three years, all schools in all clusters will have an even number of learners and that will go a long way in addressing the congestion question in schools have been listed as one of the causes of school unrest,” Mr Gisairo said.
The lawmaker said it is the uneven distribution of learners across the country that made some categories of schools have over 4,000 students while some institutions register only 10 students. “Schools in the village are deemed to be bad because they lack infrastructure, not that they don't have qualified teachers. You give such schools resources, and they will thrive, and we will see many students start streaming in such schools because with resources, there will be a fair playing ground. This idea of telling us that C1 schools are better is not true,” Mr Gisairo said.
Mr Gisairo said many schools especially in the C1 category, enrol more learners than their capacity in order to get more capitation from the government.
“We need to stop schools from being centres of business and turn them into centres of excellence that they were meant to be,” Mr Gisairo said.
Mr Gisairo argues that if a school has to be allowed to have more than 1,200, then it must demonstrate that it has a large playing field that can accommodate all students, spacious dormitories and infrastructure.
Parents during admission of grade 10 learners at Kapsabet Boys High School in Nandi County. Only 25 per cent of Grade 10 learners placed in schools in Turkana County have reported to senior school.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
The motion seeks to compel the government to implement a targeted and accelerated infrastructure upgrade programme, especially for schools in categories C-3 and C-4 in order to decongest those in cluster C1 and C2.
“The government should implement a targeted and accelerated infrastructure upgrade programme in C-3 and C-4 schools, including classrooms, laboratories, ICT hubs, boarding sanitation and amenities to achieve infrastructure standardisation across all categories of schools, safeguard the quality of education and systematically eliminate overcrowding in C-1 and C-2 schools,” reads the motion.
It also stipulates that the capitation formula should be revised in order to reflect actual infrastructural capacity and ensure that schools receive proportional and equitable funds to incentivise enrolment diversification and achieve equitable distribution of learners across categories.
Grade 10 learners with their parents during admission at Kisumu Girls High School on January 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
“Why, for instance, should we send Sh100 million to Alliance School for building a library? Why not send such an amount to village schools where it can build over 10 laboratories? Posed Mr Gisairo.
Mr Gisairo said the low number of learners per stream in each school will give teachers an easy time to interact with them and provide adequate guidance.
If adopted, he said the system will automatically lock out any number above 400 students for C1 schools.
“Any student above the provided 400 for the C1 category will not get the Nemis number and therefore won’t get capitation for that respective school. It will be deemed that he has enrolled in a private school,” Mr Gisairo said.
The lawmaker argued that there are enough secondary schools in the country, but the problem has always been the distribution of learners.
The motion has been slated for debate later this month when the House resumes its sittings after a short recess.
