Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has outlined measures being taken by the government to address teenage pregnancies, teacher shortages, religious rights in schools and infrastructure gaps across the country.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Ogamba responded to questions from senators on a range of challenges affecting the education sector, including the staffing of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), the welfare of teenage mothers and regulation of technical and vocational institutions.
Teenage pregnancies and religious rights in schools
On teenage pregnancies, the CS said the Ministry relies on school heads, teachers and other stakeholders to monitor cases and implement the National Guidelines for School Re-entry.
However, he acknowledged that the country still lacks a comprehensive information management system capable of consolidating data on teenage pregnancies, including information on perpetrators.
Ogamba attributed teenage pregnancies to several factors, including poverty, inadequate parental guidance, substance abuse, negative peer influence and limited community awareness.
He said the government was also supporting the return of teenage mothers to school while working with relevant agencies to address cases of defilement.
The CS also addressed concerns over religious freedom in schools, following a question by Senator Shakila Abdalla regarding the wearing of the hijab, particularly the case involving Samira Ali Ramadhan of St Mary’s Lwak Girls High School.
Ogamba said learners should not be discriminated against on religious grounds. Investigations into the case, he said, established that the student had been discouraged from wearing the hijab contrary to government policy.
The matter was subsequently forwarded to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for appropriate action.
Government plans to recruit 20,000 JSS teachers
On the JSS teacher shortage, Ogamba said teacher interns continue to receive their monthly stipends and remain in service pursuant to court orders.
He disclosed that the National Treasury had allocated funds for the recruitment of 20,000 JSS teachers on permanent and pensionable terms from January 2027, while the government continues to explore ways of absorbing the remaining 24,000 interns.
The CS further gave an update on the distribution of school administrators, saying that by May 2026, the country had 506 Chief Principals, 1,224 Senior Principals and 7,017 Principals in public secondary schools.
On infrastructure, Ogamba said Kilifi County had received 615 Grade Nine classrooms at a cost of Sh615 million, alongside investments in laboratories, classrooms and sanitation facilities.
He said additional support would be channelled through the Secondary Education Equity and Quality Improvement Programme and the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Programme.
The CS also told senators that the dispute surrounding the Kenya Institute of Management’s accreditation followed compliance assessments, inspections and audits by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA). The matter is currently before the High Court.
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On education quality assurance, Ogamba said draft regulations for the operationalisation of the Education Standards and Quality Assurance Council were undergoing review following a court directive, while the existing quality assurance directorate continues to oversee standards in schools.
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