- Kenyan universities face a major review of academic programmes ahead of the transition to CBET.
- The assessment will examine courses, lecturers and infrastructure across public and private universities nationwide.
- Programmes requiring changes will be identified as institutions prepare for competency-based higher education.
Kenyan universities are facing a major review of their academic programmes as the government moves to determine whether existing courses are ready for the transition to Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET).
The Ministry of Education has opened the process of assessing university programmes, lecturers and infrastructure ahead of the planned introduction of CBET in higher education.
Through the State Department for Higher Education and Research, the Ministry is seeking consultants for two separate assignments targeting public and private universities.
The first assignment will examine the academic programmes currently offered by universities and determine whether they are aligned with the competency-based approach.
Consultants will assess whether courses are structured around clearly defined competencies, practical skills and appropriate learning outcomes, as well as whether they equip students with abilities required in the workplace.
Programmes found to require changes will be identified, with the consultants expected to propose adjustments necessary to make them compatible with CBET.
The second assessment will examine how far universities have progressed in preparing for the new system.
The review will establish the number of institutions that have started implementing CBET, assess the preparedness of lecturers and determine whether universities have the infrastructure required to support competency-based learning.
The exercise will therefore give the Ministry a picture of both what universities are teaching and whether they have the capacity to teach it under the new system.
The move comes as the government intensifies preparations for the rollout of CBET in universities ahead of the first cohort of learners from the competency-based school system entering higher education in 2029.
The government has previously indicated that implementation preparations would accelerate from 2026, while universities are expected to be fully prepared for the 2029 transition.
The impending transition could force universities to take a fresh look at programmes that have traditionally focused heavily on theoretical instruction, particularly where practical competencies and measurable learning outcomes are limited.
However, the tender notices do not state that particular courses will automatically be scrapped or that universities will be required to eliminate existing programmes.
Instead, the assessment will determine which programmes require adjustment and recommend changes needed for CBET compliance.
Lecturers and infrastructure under scrutiny
The readiness assessment will also bring lecturers into focus.
Their ability to design and deliver competency-based learning will be examined alongside the availability of laboratories, workshops, equipment, digital facilities and other infrastructure needed for practical training.
Universities will consequently be assessed not only on curriculum content but also on whether they have the human and physical capacity to deliver the proposed model.
Universities have already begun preparing for the transition. Institutions including the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kibabii University and Laikipia University have undertaken CBET-related curriculum reviews, needs assessments or staff training.
The Ministry has invited eligible consultants to submit bids for the two assignments by October 6.
Mandatory requirements include a Certificate of Incorporation, a valid Kenya Revenue Authority Tax Compliance Certificate and a duly completed and signed Form of Tender.
The review marks a significant step in the government’s preparations for CBET in higher education because it seeks to establish the actual level of readiness before implementation expands across the university sector.
It also shifts attention from policy formulation to implementation — raising questions about whether university courses, teaching methods, lecturers and facilities are sufficiently prepared for a system that places greater emphasis on demonstrable skills and competencies.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reform recommended that universities align their academic programmes, teaching methods, assessment strategies and learning resources with competency-based education before receiving the first cohort from the new school curriculum.
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For students and universities, the outcome could have important implications for how courses are structured, taught and assessed as Kenya moves towards a competency-based model of higher education.
By Hillary Muhalya
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