More than 50,000 Grade 10 learners are competing for places in just 20 Cluster One schools (previously national schools) despite these schools reporting having limited capacities to meet the demand, underscoring the intense demand for Kenya’s most prestigious institutions.
The Ministry of Education has cautioned that limited capacity and strict merit-based rules mean not all applicants will secure their preferred placements.
The ongoing revision exercise has seen parents and students rushing to adjust applications before the deadline, hoping to secure spots in elite schools. The review window, opened last week, was introduced to give candidates dissatisfied with their initial allocations a chance to reconsider their choices, while ensuring the process remains transparent and aligned with national guidelines.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok revealed that the ministry has so far received 343,000 revision requests, representing about a third of all candidates. Of these, 183,000 have been processed, with 116,000 approved and 67,000 declined due to merit cut-offs and capacity limits.
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“Placement must strictly follow the established criteria, and not all requests can be approved. Learners should also note the schools available on the placement portal and apply to institutions where they meet the requirements,” Bitok said, urging parents and students to be realistic in their choices.
He added that learners whose requests are rejected are encouraged to apply to schools where they qualify. The ministry recently rolled out a digital platform to ease the process, allowing parents and administrators to submit placement changes online. Under the system, each learner can select up to four alternative schools, improving their chances of securing a suitable placement.
Bitok explained that responsibilities for processing revisions have been delegated across different levels: Cluster One approvals are handled at ministry headquarters, Cluster Two by regional directors, Cluster Three by county directors, and Cluster Four by sub-county directors.
He noted that learners are seeking changes across pathways, including shifts from STEM to social sciences, social sciences to STEM, and STEM to arts and sports. “We have received requests from all over the country, and I am pleased that as we process these revisions, we have delegated responsibilities to our field officers,” Bitok said while supervising the exercise at Naivasha Boys Boarding Junior Secondary School.
By Masaki Enock
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