NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ministry of Education has rejected 66,000 appeals from learners seeking a review of their Grade 10 senior school placements, citing severe capacity constraints in a small number of highly sought-after schools, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has said.
Speaking on Saturday, December 27, Bitok disclosed that the ministry has so far processed 183,000 appeals submitted during the ongoing placement review window. Of these, 116,000 were approved, while 66,000 were declined.
“Out of the 183,000 appeals that have been processed, 116,000 have been approved and 66,000 have been declined. That is the position we have now,” Bitok said.
According to the Principal Secretary, the majority of rejected appeals involved applications to a limited pool of elite national and extra-county schools, whose enrolment capacities are already overstretched.
“The main reason why we are declining most of the requests is because of capacity. More than 50,000 students are interested in just 20 schools. Each of these schools has a capacity of about 500 students, which makes it impossible to accommodate all applicants,” he explained.
The appeals followed the initial placement of learners transitioning from Grade 9 to Grade 10 under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), a milestone shift in Kenya’s education system. The Ministry opened a seven-day review window on December 23 to address complaints from learners and parents dissatisfied with the placements.
Bitok acknowledged widespread frustration among parents and candidates, attributing it to intense competition for limited slots in popular schools, communication gaps during the school selection process, and misunderstandings about how the automated placement system works.
“The placement was conducted using an automated system designed to promote merit, equity and fairness by considering learners’ performance and available capacity in schools,” he said, adding that incorrect gender entries were also being corrected during the review process.
To address concerns from learners whose appeals were declined, the Ministry plans to open a second revision window in early January 2026.
“We have observed that several public C1 schools, especially in remote areas, are not attracting enough students. As a ministry, we want to ensure equitable distribution of learners across all C1 schools. We are considering opening a second revision exercise between January 6 and January 9, 2026,” Bitok said.
Education stakeholders say the placement challenges underscore long-standing inequalities in Kenya’s secondary education system, where a handful of top schools continue to attract disproportionate demand due to their strong academic reputations, infrastructure and perceived pathways to university admission.
While the government has invested heavily in upgrading sub-county and C1 schools, parents remain reluctant to enroll their children in institutions viewed as less competitive. Education experts argue that reversing this trend will require sustained investment, improved staffing, and consistent performance outcomes across all public schools.
The Ministry has urged parents and candidates to seek guidance from their former Grade 9 schools or education offices at sub-county and county levels when lodging appeals.
“To address placement concerns, candidates are advised to work closely with their heads of institutions or visit Ministry of Education offices during the review period,” Bitok said in an earlier statement.
As Kenya implements CBC at senior school level for the first time, education officials say the current placement process will provide critical lessons on managing transition pressures, balancing equity with merit, and building public confidence in the reformed system.
