If there was any need to prove that policy formulation and implementation at the Ministry of Education (MoE) are wanting, it was evident on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, during a televised public engagement at Makueni Boys Senior School between education stakeholders and senior Ministry officials.
The two Principal Secretaries present, Prof Julius Bitok and Dr Beatrice Inyangala, were at best unconvincing in their responses to questions from the participants and, at worst, appeared uncertain about their own answers.
That there were senior representatives of the MoE’s institutions did not seem to matter, as the two Principal Secretaries appeared keen to dominate the discussions, to the extent that these officers behaved as if they were intimidated and were willing to go along with their answers even when they were wrong. Sample the following.
Participants were seriously concerned that Makueni County had a shortage of 37% and 22% of teachers in junior schools (JS) and senior schools (SS), respectively, and wanted to know how this challenge would be addressed. Instead of letting Dr Nthamburi from the TSC answer this question, Prof Julius Bitok repeatedly said that he is not convinced that the shortage is to the extent portrayed through the available statistics, not only in Makueni but at the national level.
He went ahead to state that Makueni had a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:19 against a UNESCO-recommended ratio of 1:35, never mind that these statistics are from his Ministry. It clearly showed that he does not understand that staffing of secondary schools is based on the curriculum offered at each school, not on student enrolment alone, nor that there is a formula for calculating the number of teachers required. CBE is labour-intensive; hence, the number of teachers required is much higher than in the 8-4-4 system. Furthermore, some schools, especially in ASAL areas, are under-enrolled but must be staffed; hence, the UNESCO formula cannot be applied in all situations.
The second contentious issue raised by the participants is the obvious imbalance in the allocation of funds for school infrastructure. Whereas it would appear that the public would like more funds allocated to C4 and C3 schools, Prof Bitok argued that the Ministry would rather allocate more funds to established C1 schools like Alliance, Nairobi School, Kapsabet, and Makueni Boys, in view of their consistent good performance. He has previously been quoted as saying that the government was considering closing 1,000 senior schools that did not attract any Grade 10 students. Considering that 310 out of 399 schools (78%) in Makueni County are C4 schools, with most of them (70%) being day schools, the PS is actually contemplating closing schools that are affordable to parents whose children commute daily. How can that be implemented?
Another issue that Prof Bitok is not taking into consideration is that the planned closure of under-enrolled C4 schools ignores the fact that they have Form 3 and Form 4 students who must complete their studies. Furthermore, under-enrolment was caused by the double intake of students in C1, C2, and C3 schools, where principals sought to maximise the utilisation of available classrooms to increase capitation from the Ministry. Students, on the other hand, were glad to be admitted into better-quality schools. This symbiotic relationship between students and principals conspired to disadvantage C4 schools. However, C1, C2, and C3 schools cannot have double intake again until 2029. This means that in 2027 and 2028, Grade 10 students who cannot access these schools will have to enrol in C4 schools. The schools that the PS wants to close will be needed.
The third contentious issue is the court ruling that outlawed the employment of intern teachers. When asked what the Ministry would do with those already employed, Prof Bitok was non-committal, yet it is obvious that the government has to improve their terms of service to permanent and pensionable to avoid further litigation. For the first time, however, a PS admitted that this arrangement was meant to utilise fully qualified teachers at minimal pay, saying that upgrading their terms of service has significant cost implications.
Prof Inyangala was asked about universities’ preparedness to train teachers in technical subjects. While she explained that universities are working on it, she had no answer to the question of why students are already in Grade 10 and need these teachers now, not later. When asked about the lack of facilities for STEM subjects, she said that senior schools neighbouring universities could take their students to use laboratories in those institutions. When asked whether there were concrete plans to that effect, she was non-committal.
READ ALSO: MoE to disburse Term II school capitation before April 27, Bitok reveals
Having listened to the deliberations of this meeting, I am left wondering whether the Ministry has concrete plans for education management now and in the future. Is there a strategic plan specifically designed to address CBE-related challenges? Are there plans to release arrears and ensure the timely disbursement of capitation going forward? Are Principal Secretaries fully briefed by technical staff on a continuous basis? Do they pay attention to these briefs?
The performance of the Ministry’s top officials at the four Elimu Mashinani forums held so far has been underwhelming. Principals of schools, technical colleges, and university vice-chancellors appear dejected by the lacklustre performance of their seniors.
Benjamin Sogomo
Education Specialist / Former Secretary TSC
benjaminsogomo@gmail.com
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