National secondary schools have absorbed the smallest share of Grade 10 learners, data from the Ministry of Education shows.
Sub-county and county schools enrolled nearly half of the learners during the intake, exposing sharp imbalances in the first Competency-Based Curriculum senior school transition.
Ministry data shows that Cluster 1 schools account for just 15 per cent of admissions, compared to 42 per cent absorbed by Cluster 4 schools. Cluster 2 has taken 24 per cent, while Cluster 3 accounts for 18 per cent.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok said in an interview with the Daily Nation that regionally, Central and Western Kenya are leading in the transition with a 97 per cent intake.
Rift Valley and Nairobi follow closely at 94 per cent each, while Eastern stands at 91 per cent. The Coast region continues to trail at 80 per cent, raising concerns over access, reporting, and learner retention.
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
“With learning set to begin on Monday, we have already recorded a 93 per cent transition, which means 1.05 million learners have reported to school, but our goal is still 100 per cent. We are confident that the remaining learners will report in the coming days. Our target remains full transition, and we expect more learners to report as learning officially begins on Monday,” said Prof Bitok.
A total of 1.13 million candidates sat the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), whose results were released in December 2025. Subsequently, the government opened a review window that attracted applications from more than 300,000 learners seeking reassessment of their scores.
This means that about 80,000 learners are yet to report to school. PS Bitok said that the ministry is still interrogating the reasons behind the low turnout in some schools and regions.
Ministry teams have already begun engaging local education officers to identify the challenges that are preventing learners from reporting to school.
“Our teams are going to the ground to find out what is delaying some learners from reporting, whether it is uniforms or other issues so that we can address them. Of course, there are exceptions, such as candidates in prison, those who have joined private schools, or cases where learners may have passed on. We will provide the exact numbers once the process closes,” he said.
The PS noted that reporting is almost 50-50 by gender, with one side slightly higher by about 1,500 learners.
Grade 10 learners with their parents during admission at Kisumu Girls High School on January 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
“In terms of absolute numbers, C4 is leading. Our projection for C4 schools was more than 700,000 learners, which was the original estimate. We will achieve 100 per cent transition, believe me. We are not going to leave any child behind,” said Prof Bitok.
“We have some schools with very low enrolment— as few as 10 learners. We are holding daily consultations to determine the best way forward. The key question is whether to merge such schools or relocate learners to nearby institutions. Once a decision is reached, we will communicate it formally,” he added.
“The ministry is working to ensure all learners are catered for. The government has invested heavily in classrooms, laboratories, and other facilities. Overall, we have enough facilities to accommodate all learners,” he explained.
“We rolled out 1,600 laboratories around the country. For the small schools that didn’t have labs, we have mapped all of them,” the PS added.
His remarks come as publishers said that they would begin printing textbooks immediately, but warned that logistical challenges mean only 50 per cent of the books will reach schools early. Full printing and distribution is expected to be completed by January 31.
With only half of the textbooks available by mid-January, Grade 10 learners are expected to share, take turns using the limited copies, or rely on notes until full supplies reach schools.
Prof Bitok also issued a stern warning to headteachers who continue to send learners home over unpaid school fees, despite a presidential directive prohibiting that.
“The directive is very clear: no learner should be excluded from school on the basis of fees or lack of uniform. Our focus now is compliance, and we will not hesitate to act where the rules are flouted. Sending learners away because of fees is unacceptable,” he said.
Elsewhere, Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki said the government is committed to ensuring all learners have access to education. He said that the government had constructed 23,000 classrooms countrywide.
The DP spoke during a service at Maemba A GC in Soin Sigowet Constituency, Kericho County, on Sunday.
