𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟐𝟖 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲

Legislators have raised concerns on various critical issues affecting the education sector following a presentation made by the Education Cabinet Secretary, Ogamba Migos, at the ongoing legislative retreat in Naivasha.

MPs complained after a presentation by the Cabinet Secretary of Education, indicating that a review of the transition is necessary to develop policies that serve the country effectively.

While chairing the session, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said the education transition from the 8-4-4 to the current CBE 2-6-3-3 has faced both successes and challenges.

Members raised very pertinent issues about the inadequate distribution of resources and teachers, citing cases in a school with about 100 students and 28 Teachers, and another school with 300 students and 2 teachers: hence, the need for rationalization.

“I challenge you, CS Migos, to establish guidelines for consolidating duplicated education bursaries into a single central basket for efficient distribution to the intended beneficiaries,” said Wetangula.

The Speaker noted that these issues in education are critical, and guided the leadership of the National Assembly, together with the Committee on Education, to convene an urgent meeting to resolve the challenges and allow school-going pupils and students to attend to their education properly.

National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichungw’ah called on MPs not to politicise education matters.

“The CS should tell parliament how to get an equitable distribution of infrastructure funds,” Noted Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah.

The leaders of the majority party in the August House said lunch and uniform purchases remain the bedrock of corruption in schools, adding that school inspectors have failed in their responsibilities.

“It is likely that some days schools will close. TSC is not doing the right thing on rationalization. We must decide to stop politicizing education matters. Why should we have a school with 1,000 teachers and a neighboring school with less than 100 teachers?” asked Hon. Ichung’wah.

The Majority Leader said the National Assembly cannot legislate on school fees.

“The CS has the power to gazette school fees.  We are dancing on serious education issues. The Ministry must gazette the amount to be charged on school feeding programs and how much parents should pay for school uniforms,” warned Hon. Kimani.

He said, “Why are we forcing teachers to change uniforms to feed the corruption cartels distributing uniforms? We should not subject the President to interfering with the issue of uniforms, “said Hon. Ichug’wah.

The Kikuyu legislator said the Ministry of Education has the most clueless Principal Secretary. “The PS is enjoying the comfort of his office in Nairobi. He must come out of that office and go out visiting schools to understand the challenges our learners and teachers are undergoing,” said Hon. Kimani.

CS Migos shocked the MPs after he admitted that no actuarial analysis has been done to determine the actual cost of educating each Kenyan child from primary to university.

“It is good to interrogate the issue. The Ministry is implementing the KEMIS system, and we are developing a module to assign each learner a unique number. Through that number, we will be able to trace any amount allocated to our children.”

This analysis, he said, has never been done. “Because of the challenges we have as a country, we will have to do that study.”

The Cabinet Secretary came under fire to explain the recent proclamation calling on all School Heads to admit all needy students to Grade, with or without uniforms or school fees.

“These students were the eight percent who had remained at home due to various economic challenges. We have directed our officers to collect their data as to where and when these learners reported to school; with that data, we will incorporate their funding in the next release.”

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko to issue with the Ministry on the employment of Board of Management teachers, Migos stated that there has been a shortage of teachers across the Country.

“The Teachers Service Commission is undertaking a rationalisation of the workforce they have. Eventually, we will have a fair distribution of teachers in all our schools. Once we have the exit report, TSC will have to reallocate teachers.”

Ministry Officials told MPs in the retreat that Capitation for schools has not changed. Capitation for secondary school remains at Sh. 22,244. Parents pay boarding fees; CI schools charge Sh. 53,535 per year, while the rest charge Sh. 40,435.

The CS said the idea to have a standard uniform across all schools was shot down by the public in 2018.

“No school should direct parents to buy uniforms from specific distributors. We are proposing an amendment to the Basic Education Act. We are requesting that this become a law because we have been unable to implement it through circulars, and we seem not to get enough information from the ground.”

The CS said the Government had employed 100,000 teachers in the last year. 217,000 teachers are placed in Junior school and 107, 744 in junior school (including 44,000 interns) and senior school 129, 460 teachers.

He said the textbook distribution as of January 27, 2026, stands at 58 percent, adding that distribution will be complete by the first week of February. Distribution is one textbook per learner in each core learning area.