Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed has urged the Ministry of Education to ensure a seamless transition for the pioneer cohort of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learners moving from Grade 9 to 10 in January 2026.
Speaking during a National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursary launch in Garissa town, Dekow raised concerns over the government’s readiness, warning against last-minute efforts that could disrupt the new curriculum’s implementation.
“We want the Ministry of Education to be responsible. This CBC programme has been in existence for over seven years, yet preparations for the transition from junior secondary to senior secondary appear inadequate,” Dekow remarked.
He called on Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to ensure that all public schools are equipped with adequate infrastructure, with only six months remaining before the transition. “We cannot afford confusion at such a critical stage of implementation,” he said.
In response, Garissa Township Sub-County Director of Education, Rashid Muktar, assured that the government has put in place all necessary measures. He said the Grade 10 curriculum has been developed and teachers have been retooled in readiness.
“I want to confirm here that the ministry has everything in place. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has finalized the curriculum and learning materials for Grade 10, which will be distributed to schools starting August,” Muktar stated.
He added that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has trained educators for senior school and that all public secondary schools have been assessed for capacity and readiness.
The Ministry has also released placement guidelines for learners joining senior school. These include four categorisation criteria: pathways, accommodation, gender, and special needs.
Learners will choose from double and triple pathway schools offering STEM, Arts & Sports, and Social Sciences. Accommodation types include day and hybrid schools, while gender categories include single-sex and co-educational institutions. Special needs schools will cater to various disabilities, including hearing, visual, and physical impairments.
To guide placement, learners will select 12 preferred schools based on pathway interests and subject combinations, with choices evenly distributed across three tracks.
As the countdown to 2026 begins, stakeholders now await the Ministry’s full rollout to ensure a successful transition for the CBC pioneers.
