NAIROBI, Kenya — Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i has dismissed claims by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale that he is responsible for the challenges facing the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), accusing the current administration of incompetence in managing the education sector.
In a statement issued on Friday, Matiang’i said the crisis surrounding CBC is not rooted in the curriculum itself but in what he described as poor leadership and chaotic implementation under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“The real mess we are witnessing today is not the curriculum itself, but the gross incompetence with which the administration he serves has managed the education sector,” Matiang’i said.
He argued that CBC, which was introduced during his tenure as Education Cabinet Secretary, had a clear implementation framework that has since been undermined.
“Even the flagship 100 per cent transition, a major milestone achieved through deliberate planning and system reforms, has been badly mishandled and effectively undermined under their watch,” he added.
Matiang’i said the challenges would have persisted regardless of which education system the current administration inherited, citing what he termed systemic failures in leadership.
“Whether they inherited CBC, 8-4-4, or 7-6-3, the outcome would have been the same. Incompetence is the only thing they execute with consistency,” he said.
He further cited recent remarks by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who has publicly criticised the performance of senior officials within the Ministry of Education.
“In fact, Members of Parliament aligned to government have recently publicly decried the spectacular incompetence of senior officials at the Ministry of Education who are more preoccupied with self-aggrandisement than with the serious business of running the ministry,” Matiang’i stated.
He maintained that CBC remains a sound policy framework and insisted that the crisis lies in execution rather than design.
“There is nothing wrong with the CBC. The present challenge is incompetent and chaotic management of the education sector. Hopeless implementation of the curriculum,” he said.
Matiang’i also framed the debate within the broader political contest ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying the United Opposition would prioritise reforms in education should it assume power.
“But there is hope. We are ready to fix this again. When Kenyans rescue the country from incompetence and poor leadership in 2027, we will restore order, professionalism and results-driven leadership in the education sector, and government as a whole,” he said.
Duale had earlier blamed Matiang’i for the current difficulties facing CBC during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive on Wednesday night.
“Fred Matiang’i was the brainchild of this CBC when he was the Minister for Education. He messed up that CBC. We are fixing his mess, and it is now working,” Duale said.
The Health CS defended President William Ruto’s record, arguing that the administration has made significant progress in education reforms within a short period.
“Some people cannot believe that President Ruto fixed and defined his legacy in three years that some people could not do in 10 years,” Duale said.
The public exchange highlights growing political tensions over the future of CBC, which has faced sustained criticism from parents, teachers, and education experts over infrastructure gaps, teacher preparedness, and learning assessment methods.
CBC was introduced to replace the 8-4-4 system, with the government arguing that it promotes skills-based learning and aligns education with labour market needs.
However, implementation challenges have continued to dominate public discourse, with education policy increasingly emerging as a key political fault line.
