Govt to devolve top national schools to counties amid Grade 9 to 10 transition jitters
By Aloys Michael, January 21, 2026The government has revealed plans to ensure that every Grade 9 student progresses to Grade 10 while addressing the ongoing national school placement challenges.
This comes even as concerns continue to grow over the education funding crisis in the country, with many Grade 10 learners reportedly missing their reporting dates to schools where they were placed.
In an interview on a local radio station on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the ministry is implementing nationwide mop-up programmes to support students who missed the standard promotion period, alongside a plan to devolve top-performing national schools to counties.
“We are committed to achieving full transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10 and are deploying strategies to reach every student,” he said.
The mop-up programme, the CS said, focuses on identifying students in regions facing poverty, poor accessibility, and inadequate school infrastructure, ensuring they continue their secondary education without disruption.
In a complementary initiative, the ministry plans to transfer selected high-performing national schools to county governments.
“We recognise the placement challenges facing students, especially in high-demand schools. The government will now equip and devolve top-performing schools to counties, enabling them to serve local communities effectively,” CS Ogamba said.
Easing burden on schools
The plan aims to bring quality education closer to students, reduce pressure on oversubscribed institutions, and ensure fair access to secondary schooling nationwide.
Under this devolution programme, county governments will take over administrative responsibilities while maintaining national standards in facilities, laboratories, and learning resources.
Additional teaching staff and technology tools will be deployed to accommodate growing student numbers, and monitoring systems will track the quality of education under county management.
Ogamba stressed that both the mop-up programmes and school devolution form part of the broader government strategy to expand access to quality education, reduce dropouts, and enhance national academic outcomes.
“Our goal is to make high-quality education accessible to every child, regardless of where they live. Devolving top schools to counties will bring education closer to learners and help manage demand effectively,” he said.
The CS said that the ministry will publish weekly updates on the Grade 9 to 10 transition process and the implementation of school devolution, prioritising counties with the greatest pressure on placement capacity.
These measures, he stressed, aim to ease learner progression into secondary school, address placement challenges, and reinforce the overall effectiveness of Kenya’s secondary education system.