NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 2 – A graduate walks into a job interview carrying an impressive academic transcript, only to discover the employer is asking less about grades and more about teamwork, communication, digital literacy and the ability to solve real-world problems.
It is a familiar experience that has fuelled one of the biggest criticisms of Kenya’s education system: that while many learners leave school with strong academic qualifications, too few possess the practical competencies today’s workplace demands.
The Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum is designed to change that.
As Kenya prepares for the first university intake of CBE learners in 2029, the country’s most ambitious education reform in decades is entering a defining phase.
While policymakers remain confident the new curriculum will produce innovative, skilled and job-ready graduates, its success will depend less on policy than on how effectively it is implemented across schools, colleges and universities.
Unlike the examination-driven 8-4-4 system, CBE shifts learning from memorising content to demonstrating competence. Learners are assessed through projects, practical assignments, teamwork, communication and problem-solving rather than their ability to reproduce facts in an examination room.
The broader objective extends beyond employment. The curriculum aims to nurture entrepreneurship, creativity, lifelong learning and adaptability in an economy increasingly shaped by digital technology, artificial intelligence and automation.
Today’s employers are looking for graduates who can think critically, collaborate effectively, embrace technology and adapt quickly to changing workplaces. Education experts argue these are precisely the skills traditional examination systems often struggled to cultivate consistently.
New generation of learners
The transition is no longer confined to basic education.
In May, officials from the Ministry of Education visited universities across the country to assess their preparedness for the first cohort of CBE students expected to join higher learning institutions in 2029.
Among the institutions assessed was Daystar University, which told ministry officials its Problem-Based Learning approach already reflects many of CBE’s core principles by encouraging students to solve real-world challenges rather than rely solely on conventional lectures.
The university has also invested in faculty training, including a Training of Trainers programme in Finland involving lecturers from all its schools, while reviewing curricula and infrastructure to align with the new education model.
Although ministry officials expressed confidence in the university’s preparedness, Daystar also highlighted areas requiring national attention, including clearer implementation guidelines, affordable curriculum review processes, specialised training and the development of a larger pool of local CBE experts to support institutions across the country.
While universities still have several years to prepare, schools are already navigating the realities of implementation.
With the first Grade 10 learners now placed into senior school pathways, attention has shifted from planning to execution. The focus is increasingly on whether schools possess the teachers, learning resources, infrastructure and institutional capacity needed to deliver competency-based learning effectively.
Speaking during the Kenya Private Schools Association annual conference, Education Director General Elyas Abdi urged schools to strengthen quality assurance systems, recruit qualified teachers and invest continuously in teacher development.
He warned that frequent teacher turnover could undermine learning continuity.
“If a learner is taught mathematics for three years under CBE by 10 different teachers, it inevitably affects learning outcomes,” he said.
Abdi also challenged schools to prioritise learner welfare over commercial interests, pointing to cases where young children spend excessively long hours away from home because of school schedules.
Stakeholders seek a smoother rollout
The transition has also prompted calls for broader collaboration beyond government.
During consultations with the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Catholic Bishops Commission for Education and Religious Education urged closer engagement as schools prepare for the Grade 10 transition.
Among the issues raised were equitable learner placement, the future of smaller C3 and C4 schools that could experience declining enrolment under the new pathway system and school uniform policies that respect both constitutional rights and the traditions of sponsor institutions.
Together with recommendations from universities and private schools, the discussions illustrate that successful implementation will depend on sustained collaboration among government, educators, faith-based organisations and other education stakeholders.
Keeping learners in school
Infrastructure and curriculum reforms alone will not determine CBE’s success.
Keeping learners in school long enough to benefit from the reforms remains one of the biggest challenges.
According to the Kenya National Examinations Council’s 2025 National Assessment Insights under CBE, the pioneer cohort declined from about 1.28 million learners in Grade 3 in 2019 to approximately 1.13 million by Grade 9 in 2025.
More than 151,000 learners left the education system before completing junior school.
The report also identified widening gender disparities, with girls dropping out at higher rates than boys by Grade 9, while learners with disabilities and overage learners continued to face significant disadvantages, particularly in literacy, mathematics and science.
Although KNEC reported improvements in practical and project-based learning, it recommended stronger interventions to improve literacy, numeracy, teacher capacity and inclusive education.
Measuring success
The rollout of CBE has produced competing narratives.
Government officials point to strong learner transition rates as evidence that the reforms are working.
Assessment data, however, suggests transition rates alone may not fully capture learner retention if significant numbers subsequently leave school because of financial, social or institutional barriers.
The contrasting perspectives highlight the complexity of evaluating a reform of this scale. Success cannot be measured solely by enrolment or examination statistics but by whether learners acquire competencies that translate into meaningful opportunities after school.
Across government assessments, university preparations and stakeholder consultations, one conclusion emerges consistently: teachers will ultimately determine whether CBE succeeds.
Competency-based learning requires educators capable of facilitating learner-centred instruction, conducting continuous assessment and adapting teaching methods to diverse learning needs.
Without sustained investment in teacher training and professional development, education experts warn, the curriculum risks being delivered using the same traditional teaching approaches it was designed to replace.
Ultimately, CBE represents far more than a curriculum reform. It is an attempt to redefine what Kenyan education should produce.
The true measure of success will not be examination scores or transition rates, but whether graduates leave classrooms equipped to innovate, solve problems, embrace new technologies and compete in an increasingly dynamic labour market.
If implementation matches ambition, the reforms could fundamentally reshape Kenya’s workforce and help bridge the long-standing gap between education and employment.