- MoE has confirmed technical failures on the KEMIS Grade 10 Selection and Placement portal, disrupting preparations for nearly 1.2 million Grade 9 learners.
- Schools have reported failed logins, unsaved submissions and outdated learner records appearing on the system since the selection exercise opened on August 24.
- The Ministry has directed Regional, County and Sub-County education officials to monitor implementation while technical teams work to stabilise the platform ahead of the September 11 deadline.
Kenya’s transition to Senior School under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system has encountered a major digital hurdle, with technical problems on the Grade 10 Selection and Placement portal disrupting preparations for nearly 1.2 million Grade 9 learners.
The Ministry of Education has appealed for calm after persistent server and data-synchronisation problems left schools, teachers and parents struggling to access the system, submit choices and, in some cases, view correct learner records. The affected platform, hosted under the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), is the digital gateway through which Grade 9 learners are expected to select Senior School pathways, subject combinations and preferred schools ahead of their transition to Grade 10 in 2027.
The selection exercise opened on August 24, 2026, when schools resumed for the third term, and was initially scheduled to run until September 11. Technical difficulties have raised concerns that the effective selection period could be shortened unless the Ministry stabilises the platform and provides additional time.
As more schools attempted to access the system towards the end of August, reports of slow response times, failed logins and unsuccessful submissions increased. Some users reported that information entered into the system appeared not to have been saved after refreshing the page. In some cases, schools encountered learner information associated with the previous Grade 9 cohort instead of the current 2026 candidates.
According to communication circulated through education administrative channels, the affected Grade 9 Senior School selection module is undergoing maintenance and reconfiguration, with technical teams working to address the underlying data and system challenges. Schools have been urged to remain patient while the work continues, and Regional, County and Sub-County education officials have been brought into the process to monitor implementation and ensure learners continue receiving guidance during the disruption.
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Teachers have been advised to continue guiding learners offline using approved pathway information, subject-combination guides and Senior School selection materials, while parents have been encouraged to use the period to discuss their children’s interests, abilities and preferred pathways. The guidance is significant this year because the permitted school choices have been reduced from 12 to eight, structured as three National Schools, two Extra-County Schools, two County Schools and one Sub-County day school within the learner’s home sub-county, alongside a broader framework incorporating private Senior Schools.
The transition to Senior School remains anchored around three broad pathways: STEM, for learners pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-related areas; Social Sciences, covering humanities, business, governance and related disciplines; and Arts and Sports Science, for learners whose strengths and interests lie in creative, performing, artistic and sporting areas.
Regional, County and Sub-County Directors of Education have been tasked with ensuring schools continue receiving accurate information, that career guidance continues uninterrupted, and that learners lacking reliable internet access are not disadvantaged. They have also been directed to identify schools experiencing persistent difficulties and escalate those cases through the appropriate channels.
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The Ministry has maintained that the disruption does not change the underlying Senior School framework, which remains part of Kenya’s wider CBE architecture. Senior School covers Grades 10 to 12, with learners following one of the three pathways and taking prescribed core and pathway-specific subjects. The selection and eventual placement process will continue to operate within the existing policy framework once the technical issues are resolved.
By Hillary Muhalya
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