- One proposal would establish new institutions to coordinate tertiary student placement and financial assistance.
- Eligible students could receive full tuition and upkeep support under the proposed funding framework.
- Separate KICD amendments seek stronger curriculum oversight alongside greater emphasis on character and values.
Kenya’s education sector could be on the verge of a significant legislative shift, with two proposed laws before Parliament seeking to overhaul how students access tertiary education funding, secure placements and how curricula are developed and regulated across the country.
The proposed Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, are currently undergoing parliamentary consideration at the committee stage. Members of the public have been invited to submit their views before the legislative process proceeds to the next stage.
If eventually enacted, the two Bills could introduce some of the most significant changes to Kenya’s tertiary education financing and curriculum development framework in recent years.
At the centre of the proposed reforms is the government’s approach to supporting students pursuing university, college and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
The Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill proposes the establishment of a unified framework to manage student placement and financial assistance.
Under the proposed system, a new Placement Service and a Tertiary Education Funding Authority would be responsible for coordinating student placement and administering various forms of financial support, including loans and scholarships.
The proposed architecture is intended to bring greater coordination to a system that has traditionally involved different institutions handling separate aspects of student placement and funding.
The legislation would also establish mechanisms through which students could receive career guidance and seek redress when they have disputes relating to placement or financial assistance.
For students and families navigating the transition from secondary school to university, TVET and other tertiary institutions, such a framework could have far-reaching implications.
Rather than treating placement and financing as completely separate processes, the proposed law seeks to bring them under a more coordinated system.
100 per cent government support proposed for eligible students
Perhaps the most eye-catching proposal is the provision of 100 per cent government tuition and upkeep support for eligible students.
If implemented as proposed, the measure could significantly alter the financial burden placed on students and their families when pursuing tertiary education.
The proposal comes against the backdrop of continuing national debate over the affordability of higher education and the effectiveness of existing student financing arrangements.
Under the proposed framework, government support would cover tuition and upkeep for eligible beneficiaries, although the precise operation of the system would ultimately depend on the final law and accompanying regulations.
The proposal could therefore provide a major lifeline to students from families struggling to meet the rising cost of tertiary education.
However, the success of such a system would depend not only on legislation but also on sustainable government financing, transparent eligibility criteria and efficient administration.
New rules for repaying student loans
The proposed legislation also seeks to change the terms under which students repay education loans.
Under the proposal, repayment would begin one year after completion of studies, while deductions from salaries for loan repayment would be capped at 25 per cent.
The proposed cap could provide greater protection to graduates entering the labour market, particularly those starting their careers on relatively modest salaries.
It would also create a clearer framework for balancing the obligation to repay public education financing with the financial realities facing young graduates.
The details of implementation, including how repayment would be administered for graduates who are unemployed, self-employed or working outside formal payroll systems, would remain important issues for Parliament and policymakers to examine.
Another major feature of the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill is the proposed creation of a dedicated Placement Service.
The institution would oversee student placement while also providing career guidance.
This could transform the transition from secondary education into tertiary education by placing greater emphasis on matching students with programmes according to their abilities, interests and career aspirations.
A stronger placement and career-guidance system could also help reduce cases where students enrol in programmes without fully understanding their employment prospects or the skills associated with particular courses.
The proposed dispute-resolution mechanism could further give students a formal avenue to challenge decisions concerning placement and funding.
Higher education laws could be brought under one framework
The proposed legislation also seeks to consolidate provisions currently spread across different laws governing universities, higher education financing and TVET institutions.
Such consolidation could simplify the legal architecture governing tertiary education.
It could also clarify institutional responsibilities and reduce potential overlaps between agencies involved in student placement, financing and tertiary education administration.
For students, however, the real test would be whether the new framework translates into faster decisions, easier access to financial assistance and fewer bureaucratic hurdles.
KICD could receive stronger curriculum powers
While the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill focuses heavily on students and financing, the KICD Amendment Bill, 2026, targets another critical pillar of education—curriculum development.
The proposed amendments seek to strengthen the legal framework governing the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and expand its authority over curriculum-related matters.
One of the notable proposals would empower KICD to accredit individuals and institutions involved in developing curricula and programmes for basic education.
This could introduce greater oversight over curriculum development and help strengthen quality assurance and consistency in the programmes offered to learners.
The proposed changes come at a time when curriculum development remains central to Kenya’s transition towards a more competency-oriented education system.
The KICD Bill also proposes changes to the leadership structure of the institution.
Among the proposed amendments is the replacement of the position of Director with that of Chief Executive Officer.
The legislation further proposes changes to the composition of the KICD Council and restructuring of committees and panels responsible for various curriculum functions.
The proposed reforms also include the repeal of the Academic Committee.
Together, these changes could alter the governance and administrative structure of the institution and potentially redefine how curriculum decisions are coordinated.
Character and values could get greater curriculum emphasis
For learners, perhaps the most significant dimension of the proposed curriculum reforms is the emphasis on character formation, life skills, ethical learning and values-based education.
The proposals seek to strengthen the role of education beyond academic knowledge by placing greater attention on the development of responsible, ethical and well-rounded learners.
This approach is particularly significant within Kenya’s evolving competency-based education framework, where learning outcomes extend beyond examination performance to include skills, values, attitudes and practical competencies.
A stronger statutory emphasis on character and values could therefore influence how curriculum developers, schools and educators approach learner development.
Despite the potentially far-reaching nature of the proposals, it is important to emphasise that the Bills are not yet law.
Parliament is still considering the proposed legislation, and public participation provides an opportunity for Kenyans to scrutinise the proposals and make recommendations.
Students, parents, teachers, universities, TVET institutions, education experts and other stakeholders could all have a significant interest in the eventual shape of the legislation.
Questions surrounding the sustainability of 100 per cent government support, eligibility for funding, loan repayment, institutional mandates, placement procedures and curriculum regulation are likely to require careful consideration before the Bills become law.
The legislative process could therefore result in amendments to the proposals before final enactment.
A potential turning point for education
If passed in substantially their proposed form, the two Bills could mark a new chapter in Kenya’s education system.
The tertiary education legislation could reshape how students are placed in institutions, how they receive financial assistance and how they repay government-backed education loans.
The KICD reforms, meanwhile, could strengthen the institution’s authority over curriculum development while placing greater emphasis on quality, character formation, life skills and values.
But the ultimate impact will depend on what Parliament finally approves, how the laws are funded and how effectively the new structures are implemented.
For now, the proposals remain exactly that—proposals.
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The next phase of public participation and parliamentary debate will determine whether the ambitious reforms become law, are substantially amended or take a different direction altogether.
By Hillary Muhalya
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