By Kurian Musa
Public basic education institutions across Kenya will reopen for the 2026 academic year on Monday, January 5, marking a critical phase in education financing and reform as the first cohort transitions to senior school under Competency Based Education (CBE).
In a statement issued on January 2, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said schools must strictly adhere to the national academic calendar, with Ministry field officers deployed across counties to ensure compliance.
But beyond routine reopening, the start of the 2026 academic year marks the first full transition of learners into senior school under the CBE framework, a milestone that places education funding and policy coordination under sharp public scrutiny.
The CBE, which replaced the 8 4 4 system, reorganised basic education into early years, middle school and senior school.
The movement of Grade 10 learners into senior school is therefore the first real test of whether policy design, infrastructure readiness and public financing can align to deliver equitable outcomes under the new system.
The Ministry confirmed that the first revision of senior school placements was completed on December 29, 2025, with joining instructions made available on the placement portal a day later.
A further placement review window has been opened from January 6 to January 9, 2026, allowing parents and learners to seek reconsideration based on verifiable grounds.
Education officials say the review mechanism is intended to balance learner choice with available capacity, while preventing elite concentration and regional disparities that previously characterised secondary school admissions under the old system.
Additional review requests may be initiated through junior schools or directly at senior schools, but must be processed through institutional heads and the official placement system.
To underpin this transition, the Government has released Sh44.25 billion in capitation funds for Term One, signalling a policy commitment to use public financing as the backbone of CBE implementation.
This funding is distributed as follows: Sh3.7 billion has been allocated to Free Primary Education, Sh14.46 billion to Free Day Junior School Education, and Sh26.08 billion to Free Day Secondary Education.
The scale of funding reflects the increased cost pressures associated with CBE, particularly at junior and senior school levels, where specialised learning pathways, infrastructure and teaching resources are required.
Officials argue that timely capitation is critical to prevent schools from shifting costs to parents during the transition phase.
Grade 10 learners will report to senior schools from January 12, 2026, allowing additional time to finalise placements and institutional preparations.
The staggered reporting underscores the complexity of managing the first CBE cohort at senior school level.
The Ministry reaffirmed that education financing remains anchored in Article 53 of the Constitution, which guarantees every child the right to free and compulsory basic education.
In the same circular, the Ministry clarified that fees payable in senior schools remain unchanged and that government capitation will continue at Sh22,244 per learner per year.
School heads have been warned against imposing extra levies, with the Ministry signalling stricter enforcement against misappropriation of public funds.
As Kenya enters the first senior school phase of CBE, education analysts say the success of the reform will depend not only on curriculum design, but on disciplined public financing, transparency and consistent policy execution.
-The writer is a policy researcher, journalist and member of Kisii Press Club.