The government has assured Kenyans that all 1.2 million learners transitioning from junior to senior school will be placed in institutions of their choice through a transparent, digital-driven process.
Speaking during the lauching of state of education report summit convened by Safaricom Foundation, M-PESA Foundation in collaboration with Zizi Afrique, and the USAWA Agenda. Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Julius Bitok said the Ministry has upgraded the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) into a more robust Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), which will serve as a central hub for all education data and operations in the country.“KEMIS will integrate data from primary and secondary schools, TVETs, universities, and all key institutions including the Kenya National Examinations Council and the Teachers Service Commission,” said Dr. Bitok. “This will ensure accurate, real-time monitoring of learner enrollment, infrastructure, teacher distribution, and funding disbursement.”He noted that the state of education in Kenya is strong, citing improvements in teacher availability, infrastructure, and the competency-based curriculum. “We thank our partners for bringing stakeholders together to reflect on where we are and how we can improve.
The government has done everything possible to ensure that our learners get quality education.”Dr. Bitok revealed that more than 9,750 schools have been made available for Grade 9 transition, categorized into four clusters: national, extra-county, county, and day schools. While over 5,000 schools had not been selected by any learners, he said this was due to factors such as locality and personal preferences.“We will initiate a national conversation on how to optimize under-enrolled schools, as they also require significant investment in infrastructure and staffing,” he said.
On the transition timeline, Dr. Bitok clarified that while learner selection has started, final placement will take place after the release of the Kenya Junior School Assessment (KEJSA) results in November. “The process is structured so that 40 percent of the placement decision is based on continuous assessment and the remaining 60 percent on national exams,” he said.
To support the competency-based education rollout, the government is investing in infrastructure, particularly in ICT. “We’ve identified 1,600 schools without labs, mostly day schools and newer institutions. In the next three months, we will ensure all of them have functioning labs by January,” Dr. Bitok confirmed.
The PS emphasized that no learner will be left behind and that the upgraded KEMIS system will ensure equitable placement across all counties, especially for marginalized learners.“This digital revolution in education is how we ensure transparency, fairness, and efficiency in delivering education services,” he added
