Matiang’i accuses Ruto administration of sabotaging CBC, vows reset in 2027
By Kiprono Keileb, January 30, 2026Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i has sharply criticised the Kenya Kwanza administration over the state of the education sector, accusing it of mismanaging the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and weakening gains made before the 2022 elections.
Matiang’i made the remarks on X on Friday, January 30, 2026, responding to comments by Education Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale made during his past interview. The exchange comes amid growing public frustration over school transitions, curriculum rollout, and leadership at the Ministry of Education.
Matiang’i’s statement was prompted by remarks made by Duale during a television interview, where the CS blamed the CBC on the previous administration and suggested the current government was fixing inherited problems. Matiang’i, who previously served as Education Cabinet Secretary, rejected that claim and defended the foundations of the curriculum and wider education reforms.
“Speaking during an interview on Wednesday night, Aden Duale claimed that the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) was my mess, one that the current administration is allegedly trying to fix,” part of Matiangi’s statement reads.
He then turned his focus to what he described as deeper failures within the current leadership of the education sector, arguing that the real problem lies in how the system is being run today.
“The real mess we are witnessing today is not the curriculum itself, but the gross incompetence with which the administration he serves has managed the education sector. Even the flagship 100% transition, a major milestone achieved through deliberate planning and system reforms, has been badly mishandled and effectively undermined under their watch,” the statement added.
Matiang’i went further to argue that the problems would persist regardless of the education system in place, placing responsibility squarely on leadership.
“And let us be frank. Whether they inherited CBC, 8-4-4, or 7-6-3, the outcome would have been the same. Incompetence is the only thing they execute with consistency,” he wrote.
He also pointed to internal criticism within government ranks, saying dissatisfaction is no longer limited to the opposition.
“In fact, Members of Parliament aligned to government have recently publicly decried the spectacular incompetence of senior officials at the Ministry of Education who are more preoccupied with self-aggrandisement than with the serious business of running the Ministry,” the statement reads.
Addressing parents, teachers, and learners directly, Matiang’i insisted the curriculum itself is not the problem.
“There is nothing wrong with the CBC; the present challenge is in the incompetent and chaotic management of the education sector. Hopeless implementation of the curriculum!” he wrote.
He concluded his statement by linking education reform to the 2027 General Election and calling for a change in leadership.
“But there is hope! We are ready to fix this again. When Kenyans rescue the country from incompetence and poor leadership in 2027, we will restore order, professionalism and results-driven leadership in the education sector, and government as a whole,” Matiangi’s statement reads.