By John Mutiso
The government has set January 12, 2026, as the reporting date for the inaugural cohort of Grade 10 learners who will transition to senior secondary schools under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Speaking on Wednesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba emphasized the need for institutions to prepare adequately for the historic transition, which will see CBC learners coexist with students still pursuing the 8-4-4 curriculum.
“Senior schools should be ready to receive their first cohort of grade 10 learners by the 12th or from the 12th of January 2026,” Ogamba stated.
“These learners transitioning under the competency-based education framework will require support to adapt successfully and coexist with students still undertaking the 844 curriculum in the institutions that they are joining.”
The CS assured that the Ministry of Education would provide continuous guidance to facilitate a seamless transition and maintain stability in the learning environment.
As the KCSE examinations draw to a close, Ogamba took the opportunity to commend all stakeholders involved in administering the national exercise.
“I extend my appreciation to the teachers, the centre managers, the invigilators, security personnel, and education officers for their dedication to this national exercise. Their commitment reflects the values of integrity, fairness, and service to the nation,” he said.
The CS encouraged candidates completing their final papers to stay focused and confident, describing the moment as defining for their future contributions to national development.
“This is a defining moment, and the nation looks forward to their next chapter of their contribution to Kenya’s development,” Ogamba noted.
On October 29, Ogamba outlined the schedule for releasing national examination results, confirming that learners would receive their outcomes before the end of the year and in early 2026.
According to the CS, results for both the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) will be made available before December, while Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results are expected in January 2026.
The Education CS also provided an update on the capitation funds verification exercise that had caused delays in disbursing funds to certain schools.
The exercise was launched following concerns raised by the Auditor General regarding ghost schools and inflated student enrollment numbers, which resulted in the improper allocation of government capitation funds.
“Verification exercise that we were undertaking, and this came because of the issues that were raised by the Auditor General. So we thought it is a critical time for us to take stock and find out why those issues of ghost schools or ghost students of enrolment and enrolment are taking place,” Ogamba explained.
He disclosed that the ministry had been progressively releasing funds to schools as they completed the verification process. However, at the conclusion of the exercise, 990 schools, 570 primary, and 420 secondary institutions were identified as having failed to submit data on their student populations.
“But we made a decision based on the term two numbers to release 50% of the capitation because we want to find out physically if these schools exist,” the CS concluded.
