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Empty classroom. Bigger and more reputable schools have dealt a death blow to lower-cadre ones, and it is all to do with number.
A major shift is happening in Kenya’s public secondary school setup, with the transition to Grade 10 ushering in the imminent closure of hundreds of small education institutions.
Bigger and more reputable schools have dealt a death blow to the lower-cadre ones, and it is all to do with numbers.
Secondary schools used to run four classes: Form One to Form Four. Under the Competency-Based Education, they will run three. That leaves an extra class.
Considering that there has been no transition from primary to secondary school since 2024, there are only Form Threes and Fours in Kenyan secondary schools – meaning there are only two of four classes occupied.
Consequently, there is an entire empty class even when secondary schools admit Grade 10 learners this year. Because there is still capacity for a whole class, any secondary school can comfortably double the number of students it used to take in Form One.
That is where bigger institutions have got leverage, leading to scenes where parents are seeking admission at more established schools and not necessarily the ones where their children have been admitted to. The result has been an influx in some schools and no enrolment in others.
This might accelerate a closure conversation started last year by the Education Ministry. The ministry revealed that 2,700 public secondary schools were operating with critically low enrolment of fewer than 150 learners in total.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba this week said that schools with very few students are seen as inefficient, especially when many other schools in the same area are operating at full capacity.
He added that the situation is prompting a reassessment of how resources are allocated.
“There would be no point in having a school with 10 children where you have a headteacher, a classroom, a watchman and a teacher. It does not make sense. We need schools that have all the facilities with the right number of students. We do not need 10 schools in a place with 1,000 students while one school has only 100 children,” Mr Ogamba said.
The struggling institutions – mostly in the sub-county school category – are faring worse this year, and a spot-check by the Sunday Nation revealed how dire the situation is.
In Turkana County, Philadelphia Mixed Day Secondary has not admitted a single Grade 10 student.
“We are still waiting for Grade 10 admissions. We have a capacity to accommodate between 40 and 60 students in a class. The school doesn’t have candidates this year because it was established in 2024,” said Mr Julius Atieno, the school principal.
Entrance to Kivumbini Mixed Secondary School in Nakuru City on January 12, 2026.
He called on the local administration to help mop up students who have dropped out of school as a result of gold mining and those who have deliberately refused to join Grade 10 and take them to school.
Dr Henry Lubanga, the Turkana County Director of Education, said that the Ministry of Education is coordinating with National Government Administrative Officers to ensure that all Grade 10 learners are in school.
“We have mobilised Members of Parliament to support those who want to join school through bursaries or other support. Lack of fees, poverty rates as high as 80 per cent and situations where some have been called to schools that parents can’t afford unless supported by well-wishers are the main challenges,” Dr Lubanga said.
In Trans Nzoia County, St Paul’s Kapchepsir Secondary School in Cherangany has received only four learners out of a capacity of 45.
Principal Wycliffe Magero said the new directive by President William Ruto, requiring Grade 10 learners to enrol whether they have fees and uniform or not, could save many learners who are out of school.
“The reporting rate is very low, and we have so far received only four learners. But more students are expected to come for admission,” said Mr Magero.
Trans Nzoia County Director of Education Pamella Akello, said they are working with national government officials to mop up learners to be admitted to school.
“At least 40 per cent of learners expected to join sub-county schools have not reported,” said Ms Akello.
In the North Rift region, many sub-county schools have either received no students or fewer than half of their expected intake, signalling a potential “death” of these institutions.
In Baringo County, Yatya Senior School in the insecurity-prone Saimo-Soi ward has admitted just 22 out of the 120 students expected. Principal Sammy Rop cited past insecurity and lack of public transport as the reasons behind learners avoiding the school.
“We have only admitted learners from the local area because the online placement system gave us just seven slots,” said Mr Rop.
Similarly, Tuluk Senior School admitted only 10 out of 100 expected students, with board chairman Titus Kipsoi blaming delays in receiving the school’s National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) code.
Parents expressed fears that sub-county schools with low enrolment will face financial challenges.
The administration block at Kivumbini Mixed Secondary School in Nakuru City.
“These schools might be forced to close down or be merged to cut down on operating costs,” said Mr David Kemboi, a parent from Langas estate.
The Rift Valley Regional Director of Education, Mr James Indimuli, has admitted the low enrolment in sub-county schools despite a 92 per cent admission rate to senior school.
“We hope to attain a maximum transition rate now that the government has released capitation money for a smooth learning process,” said Mr Indimuli on the phone.
In Makueni County, day schools are staring at an uncertain future with extremely low enrolment.
School principals Abdi Mohammad of Salama Secondary School and Gilbert Kimani of Kiambani Secondary School said their institutions are facing an unprecedented shortfall.
Each school had expected to admit more than 300 Grade 10 students across the three pathways. However, Salama Secondary School had received only six students while Kiambani Secondary School had admitted just 40 by last week.
“We are a worried lot because the capitation a school receives is pegged on the number of students in the school. This will obviously compromise the operation of the school, such as paying teachers hired by the school board of management,” Mr Mohammad said.
The situation is even more worrying as several secondary schools in Makueni have not received a single Grade 10 student.
These include Mutembuku Secondary School, Kalawa Secondary School, Mba Secondary School, Iviani Secondary School, Kathulumbi Secondary School, Muangeni Secondary School and Kakili Secondary School.
The situation is not different in Kitui and Machakos counties, where no single student had reported to some day secondary schools.
“Day schools are badly hit in terms of Grade 10 enrolment. A spot check shows that most of the day schools have recorded at most 20 per cent of the Grade 10 students they expected to receive. This has left the schools worried,” said Mr Steve Kavuvu, the chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association in Machakos County.
“The extremely low numbers of Grade 10 students mean that the schools will receive little money in terms of capitation from the government. This will cripple the running of the schools. We remain hopeful that the directive issued by President William Ruto on Grade 10 enrolment will change the situation. Otherwise, we are staring at a bleak future,” he added.
In Tana River County, local sub-county schools are struggling with low Grade 10 enrolment as many students opt for national or extra-county schools.
At Waldena Secondary School in Galedyertu, only 17 of the expected 111 students reported, with 10 coming from nearby villages and seven travelling up to 65 kilometres, while Mau Mau Girls Memorial School saw just 54 of the expected 300 learners turn up.
Hola Boys High School, a national school in the county, had 68 students report out of 350 expected.
Some parents and students have deliberately chosen schools outside the county, such as Bahari Girls High School and Bunyore Girls High School, attracted by stronger facilities, STEM programmes and perceived opportunities, leaving local schools with empty desks despite government efforts to encourage local placements.
Homa Bay County has also recorded low Grade 10 transition rates, with authorities attributing the shortfall to parents failing to take their children to senior secondary schools. County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi said that by Wednesday, up to 37 per cent of learners in the region had not transited to Grade 10, despite the official deadline of January 21.
He noted that since January 12, a total of 24,611 learners had been admitted to various schools, primarily C1 and C2 institutions (national and extra-county schools), representing 62 per cent of all learners in the county.
“Many learners are still at home, particularly those who should report to C3 and C4 schools,” Mr Mwiwawi said.
In Bomet County, no Grade 10 learner had reported to Kapchepkole and Koroitik secondary schools in Konoin constituency. Kenyangoro Secondary School in the same constituency had only five learners enrolled by last week, according to teachers at the institution.
At St Joseph’s Senior School in Elburgon, only one student was enrolled in Grade 10. Tegat Assistant Chief Charles Rono, together with the board of management of the school, mobilised the community and identified learners whose parents had not taken them to school due to financial challenges.
“Eight students were identified and admitted unconditionally by the school’s principal, Mrs Mwangi, in the presence of BOM members and the local administration. We shall continue with the exercise until all learners are taken to school,” said Mr Rono.
Nakuru East Sub-County police commander Samson Andanje address parents and education officials at Kivumbini Secondary School during a meeting on January 12, 2026.
Kivumbini Secondary School in Nakuru has recorded low Grade 10 enrolment, admitting just over 20 learners against a capacity of 60. Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili said most students placed at the school failed to report, prompting an urgent crisis meeting after none turned up on admission day.
Rift Valley Regional Director for Education James Indimuli said administrators, education officials and community members had been directed to mobilise learners to report to school.
Mr Indimuli said that with the government having released capitation to schools ahead of opening, there was no reason parents could not release students to school.
The pattern of low Grade 10 admissions is replicated in Kirinyaga. At Kithiriti Day Mixed Senior Secondary School, only five students had reported by last week. Principal Newton Muchira said the number is so small as to be untenable.
“For the last 10 days, students have been reporting to various schools, but only five have reported here. We’ve been looking for them in the village with the local chief, but we can’t get them,” said Mr Muchira.
Similar low numbers have been reported at Gakuu Secondary School and Abel Nyamu Secondary School in the area.
This is even as Central Region Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha said administrators were working hard to implement the President’s directive on 100 per cent transition.
He revealed that already 84 per cent of students have reported to senior schools in the region.
“We want to have 100 per cent transition. Children should not be left at home,” said Mr Nkanatha.
Low turnout continues to be recorded in C3 and C4 schools despite the presidential directive on full transition.
In Busia County, St Mary’s Secondary School in Murumba has so far received only two students, far below expectations given its location within an urban area.
Similarly, Our Lady of Mercy Girls Secondary School in Busia Town has also admitted just two students, raising concerns about the sustainability of some lower-category secondary schools.
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Reporting by Mercy Simiyu, Flora Koech, Evans Jaola, Barnabas Bii, Sammy Lutta, Jurgen Nambeka, Pius Maundu, George Odiwuor, George Munene, Joseph Openda, Vitalis Kimutai and John Njoroge
