NAIROBI, Kenya — Parents’ leaders are raising concerns over the rollout of Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, warning that it could deepen educational inequality and produce learners ill-prepared for real-world challenges.
Speaking from his experience as the immediate former National Organizing Secretary of the National Parents Association of Kenya, Dr. Osborne Mabalu said parents have been left largely sidelined in the implementation of CBE.
“Parents were called to meetings and told what would happen, but they were never equipped or trained to meaningfully contribute,” Dr. Mabalu explained.
The former Kakamega County Education Board member highlighted that the burden of CBE has shifted heavily to households, both financially and academically. Parents are now expected to support learning at home despite lacking the necessary skills.
“There is an assumption that all parents understand the curriculum, yet many do not, and that has made implementation extremely difficult,” he added.
Concerns over the rising cost of CBE in Kenya were also raised. Unlike the previous 8-4-4 system, where school expenses were predictable, the new system has introduced frequent levies, costs for learning materials, transport, and remedial lessons, creating financial uncertainty for households.
“Today, a parent cannot tell how much they will spend in a year because new charges keep emerging,” Dr. Mabalu observed.
The issue of school infrastructure and teacher preparedness is another major challenge. Many schools lack basic facilities such as laboratories, yet learners are expected to pursue science and technical pathways.
“You cannot expect a learner who has never seen a test tube to suddenly compete in medicine or engineering,” he said.
Dr. Mabalu warned that unless urgent government action is taken, Kenya risks producing a generation of students with certificates but limited practical skills.
He called on the government to increase funding for education, invest in infrastructure, and retrain teachers at the university level to ensure the success of CBE. “Without proper training and facilities, we are not building competence; we are institutionalizing incompetence,” he cautioned.
As the first cohorts of students transition through the new CBE pathways, parents’ leaders are urging policymakers to pause, listen, and make corrective measures.
They stress that the success of the Competency-Based Education system will ultimately be measured not by policy documents but by the abilities of Kenyan learners to thrive in the workforce and society.
Dr. Mabalu’s observations highlight the pressing need for a balanced approach to Competency-Based Education in Kenya, ensuring that it equips students with real-life skills while maintaining equity and accessibility for all learners across the country.
