The Ministry of Education has announced sweeping reforms to Kenya’s secondary education system, scrapping the long-standing categorisation of schools and introducing uniform annual fees of Ksh.53,554 for all public boarding senior secondary schools.
The new guidelines, which take effect in January 2026, mark a major shift from the previous structure where schools were grouped as national, extra-county, county, or sub-county based on infrastructure and performance. Under the new arrangement, all secondary schools will be re-registered as senior schools, and parents will now pay a standard fee regardless of location or school status.
This change is likely to impact parents whose children were previously in county and sub-county schools, where fees were significantly lower. The ministry, however, maintains that the reform aims to promote equity and standardisation across the education system as learners transition into senior school under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Learners entering Grade 10 will take seven subjects, including English, Kiswahili, and mathematics tailored to their career pathways STEM, arts, or humanities. A new component, community service learning, will also be introduced to promote civic responsibility.
The revised timetable sets eight 40-minute lessons per day, totaling 40 lessons per week. Schools have been instructed to enhance learner safety, ensuring boarding students are not released after 9am and arrive before 5pm.
Additionally, the ministry has introduced financial audits in senior schools to ensure accountability. School heads will form audit committees to work with internal auditors to monitor financial performance and adherence to policy.
Parents and learners will also play a greater role in governance through parents and teachers’ associations and student councils, which will be integrated into school administration.
The Ministry of Education is expected to release placement guidelines for Grade 9 learners once results from their recently concluded national assessments are finalized.
