Kenya says it is committed to ensuring its education sector meets the changing social, economic, technological and intellectual needs of learners.

Prof Julius Bitok, who heads the state department of basic education, said while on a tour of Kakamega County, western Kenya, that the government had set aside Ksh700 billion ($5.41 billion) for education to prepare skilled and job market-ready workforce.

Prof Bitok spoke during a tour of Navakholo and Malava sub-counties to mark International Special Education Day.

The amount of money is the highest in the country’s 2025-26 budgetary allocation to improve and better learning environments in all the 47 counties, he explained.

Bitok who was on his maiden tour of the region, said the national government was investing in education to bolster young people’s skills-set in preparation for an increasingly technology-dependent world to shape Kenya’s future.

The former ambassador pointed out that the allocation to education would allow schools to have enough infrastructure to support the newly introduced Competence Based Education (CBE) curriculum, an upgrade from the previous Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

He said the curriculum change from CBC to CBE was necessary to enhance learners’ holistic development – biologically, intellectually, physically and socially – as a springboard for Kenya’s economic, political and technological advancement.

“Our commitment towards giving our leaners the best education ever is unmeasured. In the history of this nation, no other government has been committed to education by allocating huge amounts of money to the transformation of its education sector, hence the upscaling from (CBC) to (CBE) – which is more detailed and inclusive,” Prof Bitok said.

He observed that, to implement the new curriculum, the ministry of education through Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) has already employed 76,000 teachers, with 24,000 more to be added later in the year.

He, however, raised concerns about transparency in monies wired to schools to cover procurements pointing out that transparency has been questionable hence the introduction of the new (E-procurement), which principals should adopt to be accommodated into the system.

He warned quality assurance officers throughout the country “to wake up from slumber and deliver” in reference to the recent accident at Turbo Primary School in neighboring Uasin Gishu County, where four pupils died when a poorly constructed latrine caved in and buried them alive.

“Safety of our learners is key and what we witnessed in Turbo was drastic and dehumanising and it could have been avoided if our quality assurance officers on the ground did their job well. Let them know that we have given them the mandate to inspect and report situations in our schools for necessary action. We can’t be losing the lives of our young ones because some people are sleeping on their job. They are paid to do the job,” he warned.  

His higher education counterpart Beatrice Inyangala, who was the host, assured local residents that the government had initiated electrification programme and road networks in the sub-county to enhance learning.

Dr Inyangala called on parents to embrace technical training for children who did not qualify to join university.

“Our government has also invested in technical training to allow more hands-on skills training that is demand within and outside our borders,” she said.

Principal Secretary for East African Community Caroline Karugu cautioned parents against allowing their children to be idle and being lured by politicians to engage in violence and looting as witnessed in the country in June and July this year.

She sympathised with the ongoing chaos in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Somalia, as some of the unrest the country will face if parents fail to curtail their children and warned that the government will not tolerate sponsored thuggery, looting, destruction of property and hooliganism in the name of demonstrations. Instead, she said, there is room for dialogue.

“I concur with my fellow principal secretaries that our country is doing its best to have our young people have some training and source of livelihood. Let us not be coerced by individuals who have personal vendetta against the government to cause mayhem and chaos. The same people do not offer an alternative solution to problems at hand. Let’s join hands with the current government and work things out for a better tomorrow,” she implored.

Karuga said it was time the young generation stood up to be counted through supporting government to achieve its Bottom up Economic model.

• A Tell Media report / Isaac Wakhungu Andanje