- Grade 10 learners have been given more time to change senior schools.
- The new deadline for transfers is January 16.
- Complaints arose over students being placed far from home or in unsuitable schools.
- Transfers are being handled through the new KEMIS digital system.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has extended the deadline for Grade 10 learners seeking transfers to senior schools. Students now have until January 16 to move to institutions of their choice, following concerns raised by parents over the placement process.
The decision came after complaints that some learners were posted to schools far from their homes, including day schools in other counties. Others felt their children had been placed in schools that did not match their academic ability.
Initially, parents had until January 9 to raise transfer requests, but the Ministry of Education allowed extra days to address the concerns.
Ogamba said the entire admissions and transfer exercise is being managed through the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS). The system is automated and overseen by ICT officers at the ministry.
He noted that approvals are handled centrally to ensure fairness and smooth coordination across the country.
According to the CS, most placements were completed without issues. The extension, he explained, is meant to make sure no learner is locked out as schools prepare to open in the coming weeks.
He urged parents to use the remaining time to review placements and submit transfer requests where necessary.
Ogamba made the remarks while overseeing Grade 10 admissions at Kamahuha Girls High School, which was recently elevated to national school status.
He welcomed the school’s first intake of students from outside the region, including one learner from Kilifi County, calling it a clear sign of its new standing.
The current Grade 10 class is the first group under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system. Nationwide, the cohort has 1,130,459 learners.
Kenya has about 9,500 senior schools, classified based on learning pathways, boarding status, gender, and special needs to promote balance and choice.
The CS also revealed that the government is building 1,600 laboratories across the country to support science learning and the full implementation of the new curriculum.
Maragua MP Mary Waithera, an alumna of Kamahuha Girls High School, praised the institution’s growth from a local day school to a national boarding school.
She said the national government plans to build a library and four classrooms, while the Maragua NG-CDF will fund a modern dining hall to reduce congestion.
The ministry has urged parents to act before the January 16 deadline to ensure a smooth start to the academic year for all Grade 10 learners.
