An overhaul of Kenya’s education sector is taking shape, with seven proposed laws now at the center of a legislative process that could reshape how the country delivers, finances and regulates education.
Few sectors are as central to a country’s development as education. Beyond providing knowledge and qualifications, an effective education system builds the human capital needed to drive innovation, productivity, technological advancement and economic growth. It also determines how well a country prepares its citizens to respond to changing labor market demands and participate in an increasingly competitive global economy.
For Kenya, therefore, the proposed reforms go beyond changes to education policy and administration. They touch on the country’s capacity to develop a skilled workforce, expand opportunities for millions of learners and advance its broader socio-economic transformation agenda.
What you can do: Your voice matters
Education is too important to be left to policymakers alone. As a parent, teacher, student, employer or concerned citizen, you have a stake in the decisions shaping Kenya's education system. Take time to read the proposed Bills, understand what they mean for learners and institutions, and make your voice heard. Write to, call or engage your Member of Parliament, expressing your support or concerns about specific proposals and explaining why you believe they should be amended, passed or opposed. An informed and engaged citizenry is the foundation of meaningful democracy. The future of Kenya's education system is too important to leave to Parliament alone. Speak up, participate and help shape the change you want to see.
Following a three-day stakeholder engagement held from October 27 to 29, the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education is consolidating submissions from the public and various sector players as it prepares its report on seven Education Sector Bills.
The proposals, currently before the 13th Parliament, cover virtually the entire education continuum, from foundational learning and teacher preparation to university education and the recognition of academic and professional qualifications. Collectively, they seek to address longstanding challenges relating to access, quality, equity, financing, governance and the regulation of education.
The legislative process is part of a broader reform agenda that gained momentum following the establishment of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform in September 2022. The working party made recommendations aimed at improving access, quality, relevance, equity and inclusion across all levels of education. The proposed legislation is intended to provide the legal and institutional framework for implementing aspects of that agenda.
It also comes against the backdrop of the transition to Competency-Based Education (CBE), which has required changes not only to classroom teaching and assessment but also to teacher preparation, curriculum development and the wider management of the education system.
With the public participation phase now concluded, the Committee is expected to finalise its report before the Bills proceed through the parliamentary process, including consideration and debate in the House.
Rethinking how tertiary education is funded
At the center of the proposed changes is the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 49 of 2026).
The proposed legislation comes amid continuing debate over the university and college funding model introduced through the Universities Fund and Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). The Means-Testing Instrument, which determines the level of financial support students receive based on their assessed economic circumstances, has attracted scrutiny over concerns about fairness, transparency and the adequacy of support for vulnerable learners.
During the stakeholder engagements, participants called for a funding framework that does not disadvantage students from economically marginalized households. Concerns have also been raised about the model’s treatment of students whose religious beliefs prohibit them from accessing interest-bearing loans.
Public university leaders have, meanwhile, continued to raise concerns about the financial pressures facing their institutions. They argue that inadequate and unpredictable funding has affected institutional liquidity, research activities, infrastructure development and the ability to meet staff obligations.
Vice-chancellors have urged the Committee to consider stronger legal safeguards for university financing, including statutory provisions that would protect funds allocated to public institutions from arbitrary reductions.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a more coordinated framework for placing students in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, while addressing how tertiary education is financed.
Its eventual provisions will be closely watched, particularly by students, universities and families seeking a funding model that balances institutional sustainability with equitable access to higher education.
Preparing teachers for a changing education system
Closely linked to the quality of education is the Pre-Service and In-Service Training in Education Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 52 of 2026).
The proposed law seeks to strengthen the professional preparation of teachers by providing a framework for their training before entering the classroom and their continued professional development once in service.
The reform comes at a time when the transition to CBE is changing the demands placed on educators. Unlike the traditional system, which placed considerable emphasis on content delivery and examinations, the competency-based approach requires teachers to facilitate learner-centred instruction, nurture individual abilities and assess the practical application of knowledge and skills.
This shift has implications for teacher training institutions, professional development programmes and the standards expected of educators.
The proposed legislation is therefore expected to address how teachers acquire and update the competencies required to deliver the curriculum effectively, while providing greater consistency in training across the education system.
Bringing basic education legislation up to date
At the foundational level, the Basic Education Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 50 of 2026) seeks to amend the existing legal framework governing basic education.
The proposed changes come as the country continues to implement CBE and navigate the transition from primary to junior secondary education. These changes have brought new demands in areas such as infrastructure, teacher deployment, learning resources and the management of schools.
The wider reform agenda also recognizes that access to education is not simply about enrolment. Learners must be able to access quality instruction and appropriate learning facilities, regardless of their geographical location, socio-economic circumstances or individual learning needs.
The proposed amendments are expected to align the existing legal framework with the changing structure and requirements of basic education.
Reviewing curriculum development and learning resources
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 54 of 2026) addresses another important component of the education system: Curriculum development.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) plays a central role in designing and reviewing curricula and approving learning materials. Its mandate has come under increased public scrutiny following the rollout of CBE, particularly over the design, content, cost and distribution of learning resources.
Parents and other education stakeholders have raised concerns about the financial demands associated with the new curriculum, while questions have also emerged about the adequacy of public engagement in curriculum development and review.
The proposed amendments seek to review the Institute’s mandate and operations, with implications for how curricula are developed, how stakeholders participate in the process and how learning resources are assessed and approved.
The changes will be important in determining how responsive curriculum development becomes to the needs of learners, teachers, parents and the wider economy.
Separating assessment from curriculum development
Assessment is another area targeted by the proposed reforms through the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 51 of 2026).
The Bill proposes the establishment of a dedicated statutory council to oversee national educational assessments.
The move comes as the implementation of CBE continues to change how learning outcomes are measured. Under the new approach, assessment is expected to go beyond the traditional emphasis on examinations and academic grades to establish whether learners are acquiring and demonstrating the intended competencies.
This has increased the importance of developing assessment systems that can reliably measure knowledge, practical abilities and other learning outcomes.
The proposed council is expected to provide a dedicated institutional framework for national assessments, with the broader reform agenda seeking to clarify and distinguish the responsibilities of institutions involved in curriculum development, assessment and certification.
The objective is to strengthen the credibility, fairness and relevance of national assessments while ensuring that evaluation methods remain aligned with the country’s evolving education framework.
Recognising qualifications and skills
The Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 53 of 2026) seeks to strengthen the framework through which academic, technical and professional qualifications are recognised.
The Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) provides a mechanism for aligning qualifications across different levels and institutions, while facilitating the recognition of skills acquired through formal education, workplace experience and other forms of learning.
This is particularly relevant as Kenya seeks to strengthen its TVET sector and create pathways through which individuals can acquire, upgrade and demonstrate their competencies.
A functional qualifications framework also supports the mobility of graduates by making it easier to compare and recognise qualifications across institutions and jurisdictions.
The proposed amendments are expected to strengthen quality assurance and improve the recognition of qualifications, including those obtained through non-formal and informal learning. They also seek to address concerns over fraudulent academic credentials, an issue with implications for employers, educational institutions and the credibility of Kenyan qualifications internationally.
Teacher management at the centre of the debate
Of the seven proposals, the Teachers Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 64 of 2026) is among those attracting considerable attention because of its potential implications for teacher management.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC), one of the country’s largest public sector employers, is responsible for the registration, recruitment, deployment, promotion and discipline of teachers.
The proposed amendments seek to introduce changes to the Commission’s institutional and administrative arrangements, raising questions about the distribution of responsibilities between the TSC Board and its Secretariat.
Teacher unions have historically contested proposals that they believe could concentrate too much authority within the Secretariat at the expense of the Commission’s Board. They have argued that changes to the TSC Act must preserve the independence of the Commission’s decision-making structures and protect teachers’ employment rights.
Other longstanding concerns relate to teacher deployment, promotions and the criteria used in making administrative decisions.
The policy of teacher delocalisation, in particular, has attracted opposition from unions, which argue that transfers far from teachers’ homes and families can disrupt their social and family lives. They have called for a more considerate deployment framework that takes into account factors such as family responsibilities and health circumstances.
Teacher unions have also raised concerns about inadequate funding for recruitment and career progression. They argue that insufficient budgetary allocations have contributed to delays in confirming newly recruited teachers and limited opportunities for promotions.
Their submissions have emphasised the need for predictable financing to support teacher recruitment, deployment and professional advancement.
The proposed amendments will therefore be closely scrutinised for how they balance the Commission’s administrative responsibilities with teachers’ professional interests and employment protections.
Universities warn over funding pressures
The Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill has also drawn significant attention from university academic staff, particularly through the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU).
The union has repeatedly warned that inadequate government funding is undermining the financial sustainability of public universities and threatening their capacity to deliver quality teaching, research and other academic services.
Public universities have been grappling with mounting financial obligations, including staff salaries, pension liabilities, infrastructure maintenance and operational costs.
UASU has argued that the current funding arrangements need fundamental reconsideration if universities are to remain functional and continue fulfilling their mandates.
The concerns raised by university staff and institutional leaders reflect a wider challenge facing the education sector: Expanding access to learning while ensuring that institutions have the resources required to maintain acceptable standards.
A wider reform agenda
The seven Bills form part of a broader effort to address longstanding structural and governance challenges across Kenya’s education system.
Over the years, the sector has developed multiple institutions, policies and pieces of legislation to regulate different aspects of education. However, the expansion of the system and the emergence of new learning demands have also exposed gaps, overlapping mandates and inconsistencies in implementation.
The proposed reforms seek to improve coordination among institutions, clarify their respective responsibilities and establish a more coherent framework for delivering education and training.
They also reflect the need to align Kenya’s education system with regional and international commitments, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
For the country, this alignment is particularly important as education becomes increasingly linked to technological advancement, innovation, regional integration and the demand for adaptable skills in the labour market.
However, the success of the proposed reforms will depend not only on the laws enacted but also on the resources, institutional capacity and implementation arrangements put in place to support them.
What happens next?
The timing of the legislative process is significant. The 13th Parliament is in its fifth session, and the outcome of the seven Bills will have implications for the implementation of the government’s education reform agenda.
For the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education, the three-day stakeholder engagement was part of the constitutional requirement for public participation in the legislative process. It provided an opportunity for teacher unions, civil society organisations, parents’ associations, university leaders, students and other stakeholders to present their views on the proposed changes.
The submissions will now inform the Committee’s report and recommendations to the House.
The Ministry of Education and other sector institutions have maintained that legislative changes are necessary to address inefficiencies and improve the governance and delivery of education services. However, stakeholders and education experts have cautioned that legislation alone will not resolve challenges such as inadequate funding, institutional weaknesses and gaps in implementation.
As the Committee concludes its work, attention will turn to how Parliament incorporates stakeholder concerns into the final legislative proposals.
The Bills are expected to proceed to the Second Reading stage, where Members of Parliament will debate their principles and merits before further consideration through the legislative process. Any proposals approved by Parliament will subsequently be forwarded to the President for assent.
The Committee is expected to table its final report before the House rises for the December recess, setting the stage for parliamentary consideration of the proposed reforms.
For millions of Kenyan learners, teachers, parents and institutions, the decisions made in Parliament will help shape the opportunities available, the quality of education delivered and the skills with which the next generation enters the world of work.