Author: Hezron Rooy

KUPPET Issues 7-Day Ultimatum to Government for School Capitation Release. Two weeks into the 2025 school calendar, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has raised concerns about an impending crisis in secondary schools. The financial strain stems from significant delays in the disbursement of capitation funds, leaving schools unable to manage essential expenses. KUPPET has accused the Ministry of Education of failing to fulfill promises of timely funding. According to Moses Nthurima, the union’s Deputy Secretary General, many schools are struggling to pay suppliers, contractors, and staff. He stated that principals are bearing the burden of mounting…

Government Targets 1 Million TVET Enrollments by Year-End. Efforts are in progress to significantly increase student intake at Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions to meet the growing demand for technical skills. Currently, TVETs conduct admissions in January, April, and September. However, the Mount Kenya West Regional Director for TVETs, Charles Nyota, has revealed plans to review the admission schedule to accommodate more students. Nyota explained that the primary goal is to double the number of trainees from 500,000 to one million by the end of the year. This expansion will primarily target students from the 2024 Kenya Certificate…

Mass Transfers Leave Kirinyaga School with One Student in Form 2 and Eight Teachers. Mugwandi Public Day and Mixed Secondary School, situated in Kirinyaga Central, Kirinyaga County, is grappling with an unprecedented student shortage that may lead to its closure. The school currently has only one student enrolled, raising alarm among residents and educational stakeholders in the area. A recent visit to the school revealed a bleak picture: the sole enrolled student, a Form Two learner, was found studying alone in a classroom, awaiting an English lesson. The emptiness of the facility starkly highlighted the severity of the issue. The…

KUPPET Warns Against Threatening Teachers for Poor KCSE Performance. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Migori County branch has voiced alarm over threats directed at teachers following subpar results in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. According to the branch executive, Mr. Samwel Orwa Jasolo, certain political leaders in the region are pressuring school principals and even threatening their dismissal due to poor performance in some schools. Mr. Jasolo emphasized that such actions create an atmosphere of unnecessary fear among educators. He specifically mentioned Kibuon Secondary School, where stakeholders have proposed removing the current…

Teachers Decry Bias in TSC’s 19,000 Promotions Exercise. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) commenced its teacher promotion interviews on Monday, January 23, across the country. This initiative aims to elevate over 19,000 educators to higher job groups, providing long-awaited relief to veteran teachers who were left out during the contentious 2024 promotion process. Teachers nationwide dedicated significant effort to prepare for these interviews, with many spending sleepless nights revising the roles of various government agencies and the latest education policies. However, their expectations of rigorous face-to-face interviews were dampened when the process turned out to be predominantly a document verification…

TSC to Roll Out Teacher Deployment to Special Schools. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced the commencement of the third phase of deploying teachers to special schools and units. This initiative, which began in September last year, targets a total of 3,600 teachers to address staff shortages in special needs education (SNE). Dr. Nancy Macharia, TSC CEO, emphasized that some special schools face critical understaffing. The Commission plans to utilize part of the 18,057 excess teachers in primary schools to alleviate this issue. Deployment Plan and Timeline The phased deployment is necessitated by financial constraints, as noted by Dr.…

Government Expands EduAfya Scheme to Cover All Students The government has outlined plans to overhaul the contentious EduAfya scheme, aiming to include all school-going children under its health coverage. In the 2025 Budget Policy Statement, the National Treasury emphasized the importance of robust institutional and strategic measures to expand the reach of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). As part of this agenda, the government is committed to revitalizing the EduAfya scheme, which was discontinued on December 31, 2023, leaving millions of high school students without medical insurance. EduAfya’s Early Success and its Closure Introduced in 2018 during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration,…

Youth Encouraged to Explore Technical Education: TVET Admission Requirements. The Kajiado County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, Vocational Training, Youth, and Sports, Janet Sereu, has called on young people who did not meet the minimum university entry requirements to consider pursuing technical courses in vocational institutions. Sereu emphasized the value of technical education, urging the youth to view it as a viable alternative to university education. She pointed out that blue-collar professions, often overlooked, are just as vital as white-collar jobs in building sustainable careers. Sereu highlighted the growing significance of innovation-driven economies, particularly in developed countries such as…

Midnight Blaze Ravages University of Nairobi: Aftermath [Photos]. A devastating fire broke out at the University of Nairobi’s (UoN) main campus around midnight on Wednesday, January 15, causing significant damage to the iconic Taifa Hall and the Mahatma Gandhi Wing. Taifa Hall, a renowned lecture and conference venue near the university’s old administration building, was engulfed in flames visible across the campus and even from the highway. Firefighters initially contained the blaze after responding promptly to the scene. However, the Central Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Stephen Okal later reported that the fire reignited around 5 a.m., necessitating the fire department’s…

Universities Fund and HELB Appeal Court Ruling on New Funding Model. The Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) have filed an appeal against the High Court judgment by Justice Chacha Mwita, which declared the new university funding model unconstitutional. The agencies are challenging the December 20, 2024, ruling, arguing that its implications could disrupt learning in universities due to delays in fund disbursements. They assert that Justice Mwita erred in law and fact, leaving them unable to provide funds to universities or students, especially those in their first and second years who were the primary beneficiaries of…