NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – The Ministry of Education has paved way for local contractors to bid for the construction of the classrooms in schools in their respective sub-counties following the unveiling of a Sh5.2 billion budget on Sunday.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha directed sub-county implementation committees to issue notifications as from Monday, November 22.
“The Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) infrastructure Development programme is being implemented under the Kenya economic stimulus package, using local contractors within the vicinity of the secondary schools to tap local skills and enhance economic opportunities,” said Magoha as he announced the availability of funding to construct 6,500 classrooms in a bid to ease congestion in schools.
The National Treasury provided Sh4 billion out of Sh8 billion earmarked for the project with the remaining amount set to be disbursed during the second phase. The Ministry of Education availed Sh1.2 billion from its budget.
Magoha’s directive to sub-county implementation committees came days after the local contractors were asked to register with the Deputy County Commissioners in their respective sub counties.
It is expected that 10,000 additional classrooms to be constructed will adequately to take care of the double intake with some 2.5 million children set join high school in 2023.
Top government officials had already met to lay the groundwork for the construction of 10,000 classrooms to support the transition of learners from primary to junior secondary schools.
A multi-agency team comprising the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and other State Agencies developed a roadmap for implementation of the project.
Magoha assured that the government was on course in its commitment to expand school infrastructure commensurate to growing student population.
“I wish to assure the country that through this programme, the government is on course to progressively expand capacities of all our secondary schools to support the 100 per cent transition policy and accommodate more learners in 2023,” Magoha noted.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said only 10,000 classrooms would be constructed with the available budget of Sh8.1 billion and asked other partners including Members of National Assembly to set aside constituency funds to top up.
The expansion programme seeks to address the classroom deficit in public secondary schools to allow for a smooth transition of CBC Grade 6 learners to Junior Secondary in January 2023.
Official data from the Ministry of Education projects the total number of Grade 6 and Standard 8 learners expected to join secondary schools at 2,571,044.
However, available secondary school spaces for those joining the new level of education were reported at 1,081,900, leaving a deficit of 1,489,144.
It is expected that the CBC pioneer class will transition to junior secondary school in 2023 after sitting the Grade 6 national examination.
During the same year, the present Standard 7 learners under the 8-4-4 education system will join Form One after sitting KCPE examinations.
