NAIROBI, Kenya – Central and Western Kenya have emerged as the top performers in the rollout of the new Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, recording the highest enrolment of Grade 10 learners as the national transition rate rises to 93 per cent.
Data from the Ministry of Education shows that the two regions have achieved a 97 per cent intake, significantly outperforming other parts of the country.
Rift Valley and Nairobi follow closely at 94 per cent each, while Eastern Kenya stands at 91 per cent.
The Coast region continues to lag behind at 80 per cent, raising concerns over access, reporting and learner retention.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok said 1.05 million learners have already reported to senior school ahead of the official start of learning on Monday, adding that the government remains confident of achieving a 100 per cent transition.
“With learning set to begin on Monday, we have already recorded a 93 per cent transition. Our target remains full transition, and we expect more learners to report in the coming days,” Bitok said.
A total of 1.13 million candidates sat the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), whose results were released in December.
Following the release, more than 300,000 learners applied for a review of their scores, while about 80,000 learners are yet to report to school.
Despite the high overall turnout, enrolment has been uneven across school categories.
National secondary schools have absorbed the smallest share of Grade 10 learners, while sub-county and county schools have taken in nearly half of all students, underscoring disparities in the first senior school placement under CBE.
Cluster 4 schools account for 42 per cent of admissions, compared to just 15 per cent in Cluster 1 schools. Cluster 2 absorbed 24 per cent of learners, while Cluster 3 took 18 per cent.
Bitok said the ministry has deployed teams to investigate the reasons behind low reporting in some regions and schools, citing uniforms, financial constraints and parental delays as key challenges.
“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,” he said, noting that exceptions include learners who joined private schools, those in correctional facilities or cases of death.
The PS added that reporting is nearly balanced by gender, with a difference of about 1,500 learners nationwide.
Some schools have recorded extremely low enrolment, with as few as 10 learners, prompting discussions on possible mergers or relocation of students to nearby institutions.
The government, he said, has invested heavily in infrastructure to support the transition, including the construction of classrooms and laboratories.
“We rolled out 1,600 laboratories across the country, and for small schools without labs, we have mapped all of them,” Bitok said.
He also warned headteachers against sending learners home over unpaid fees or lack of uniform, citing a directive by President William Ruto.
“The directive is clear: no learner should be excluded from school because of fees or uniform. Sending learners away is unacceptable,” he said.
Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki reiterated the government’s commitment to education, noting that 23,000 classrooms have been constructed nationwide to support the CBE transition.
However, concerns persist in some areas. In Ndia constituency, Kirinyaga County, school heads have reported low turnout weeks after the official reporting date, blaming parental inaction despite government assurances.
Ndia MP George Kariuki urged parents to act, saying initiatives would be rolled out to trace learners still at home and return them to school.
Nationally, education officials say the transition is gaining momentum, particularly in public day secondary schools, which are absorbing the bulk of Grade 10 learners due to their affordability and accessibility.
Bitok confirmed that door-to-door campaigns involving education officers, chiefs and National Government Administrative Officers are ongoing to trace the remaining learners, as the government pushes to ensure no child is left behind under the CBE system.
