Principal Secretary for Basic Education Prof Julius Bitok.
More than 100,000 Grade 10 learners have applied to review their senior school placements, the Ministry of Education has said.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok told Daily Nation that since the online revision portal was launched, 2,000 transfers had been approved yesterday.
PS Bitok said the online revision system, which has 1.5 million school slots for 1.1 million learners, is designed to ensure that every student secures a placement.
The ministry launched the digital platform to enable parents and school administrators to request changes for learners who are dissatisfied with their initial school or pathway allocations.
“So far, more than 100,000 Grade 10 learners have applied, which is about 10 per cent of the expected applications. We experienced a slight slowdown in the morning due to bandwidth, but overall it’s performing well,” said Prof Bitok.
He asked parents to exercise patience, noting that this is the first time that the system is being used. He said that some refinement of the system may be needed to ensure a smooth transition.
The PS said that the portal will remain open for a seven-day window, and it will operate 24 hours daily to allow parents to submit their requests at a convenient time.
Transition
"We want this transition to be as smooth as possible. We have seven days to complete the process, and the platform is available 24 hours a day. So requests can be submitted anytime—morning or night. I want to ask everyone to be patient as we ensure that things are done properly. It is in the interest of our children to get it right. By January 12, all learners would have joined their respective schools,” said Prof Bitok.
He said that in a bid to ensure efficiency, responsibilities have been delegated across levels: Cluster One approvals are being handled at the ministry headquarters, Cluster Two by regional directors, Cluster Three by county directors and Cluster Four by sub-county directors.
"There are those who are interested in changing from STEM to social sciences, others want to change from social sciences to STEM, and others want to change from STEM to arts and sports, and vice versa. We have requests across board and from all over the country. I’m also happy to note that even as we process these revisions, we have delegated responsibilities to our field officers,” he said during his supervision at Naivasha Boys Boarding JSS.
The ministry said that the revision covers about 9,000 senior schools listed on the portal.
Under the new system, a learner seeking a review is allowed to select a maximum of four alternative schools. The learner can list the school of choice plus an additional three options to improve the chances of securing a preferred placement.
For instance, a learner who had initially been placed at Kakamega High School but wishes to get a transfer to Alliance High School, may choose Alliance as the first option and select three other schools as alternatives.
Separately, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba called on parents to take advantage of the revision window to rectify senior school placements.
He spoke during the commissioning of a new senior school in Kisauni, Mombasa County.
“Learners transiting to Grade 10, who were placed in schools that they do not like, have an opportunity to apply again. Or if they wish to change the schools they selected, they now have seven days to return to their junior schools or sub-county offices to re-apply,” said Mr Ogamba.
The CS acknowledged that first phase of placements had exposed gaps. He admitted that the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) portal was having technical challenges. The minister said that transitioning to a new curriculum has complexities, and some learners have been assigned institutions or pathways that did not align with their preferences or abilities.
“Because this is a new system, there were challenges here and there. But our teams are working to rectify them,” he said.
The placement exercise marks the transition of the first cohort of learners from junior school to senior secondary school under CBE.
Yesterday, hundreds of parents with their Grade 9 pioneer graduates rushed to the basic education learning institutions to revise their placement. However, the system jammed as teachers helped the parents to revise the placements.
Mr Eugene Keke joined hundreds of frustrated parents at Shimo La Tewa Comprehensive School in a desperate waiting game as technical failures paralysed the first day of the Grade 10 placement revision exercise.
Mr Keke’s son, Jayson Righa (14), was placed at Bunyore Boys Secondary School in Vihiga County.
“I came to revise my son’s placement only to find the systems down. I will have to wait because this is very important. I want to secure my son’s future,” he said.
His son, Jayson, an aspiring engineer who qualified for the STEM pathway, has his sights set on local powerhouses at the Coast.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba with Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba (right) and Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki (left) during the official opening of Shanzu Senior School in Mombasa on December 23, 2025.
“I want St. Mary's Lushangonyi or Dr Aggrey High School. Those are dedicated STEM schools that align with my dream of becoming an engineer,” he said.
Despite the Ministry of Education's seven-day window (Dec 23–30) to rectify placements, the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) portal reportedly buckled under high traffic on Tuesday.
At several centers in Mombasa, teachers were unable to process request, leaving parents to camp in school hallways.
Local leaders have stepped in to guide confused parents with Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba urging the CS to issue a formal directive to all 23,000 public primary school heads to actively assist parents with the digital navigation.
“Kenyans are confused. Parents are suffering especially in the Grade 10 placement. I am telling parents, do not download the admission forms if you do not intend for your child to report to the assigned school. Once you download that form, the system may finalize the placement, making revision much harder,” said the MP.
He further urged parents to prioritise education sector, and take them to school.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
