CS Julius Ogamba Raises Alarm as Over 1,000 Kenyan Secondary Schools Report Zero Grade 10 Students
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has revealed that nearly 1,000 secondary schools across Kenya currently have no Grade 10 students, raising serious concerns about inefficiencies in the country’s education system and the underutilisation of teachers and other resources.
The startling disclosure was made during the Public Universities Vice-Chancellors’ Summit held in Mombasa, where the CS warned that the situation reflects deeper planning and resource management challenges within the education sector.
Majority of Affected Schools Are Day Institutions
According to Ogamba, most of the institutions struggling with zero Grade 10 enrolment fall under Cluster 4 day secondary schools, though a few Cluster 3 boarding schools are also facing extremely low student numbers.
Despite the lack of learners, these schools still have principals, teachers and support staff on the government payroll, creating a situation where human and financial resources are not being used effectively.
“We have some 1,000 secondary schools with no Grade 10 students. These schools have teachers and principals, among other staff. Now tell me, how do we move from here?” Ogamba posed during the summit.
His remarks sparked debate among education stakeholders over the sustainability of maintaining schools with almost no learners.
University With Only 31 Students Raises Concern
In another surprising revelation, the CS disclosed that one university in Kenya is currently operating with only 31 students, highlighting the broader challenge of low enrolment across some learning institutions.
The CS said such cases demonstrate the urgent need for institutions to rethink sustainability, planning and accountability in the education system.
Government Audit of Schools Across Kenya
To address the problem, the Ministry of Education recently carried out a large-scale audit covering more than:
- 23,000 public primary schools
- 9,606 secondary schools
The audit was conducted following concerns raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of Kenya about inconsistencies between student enrolment figures and government funds disbursed to schools.
Ogamba explained that the findings from the exercise will guide government planning to ensure human, financial and physical resources are distributed fairly and used efficiently.
Stakeholders Call for Education Reforms
Education stakeholders have now called for stronger coordination and reforms to address disparities in enrolment across schools.
Silas Obuhatsa, Chairperson of the National Parents Association, supported the idea of reviewing schools with extremely low student numbers.
He suggested that institutions with very few learners could be closed, with teachers redeployed to schools experiencing staff shortages.
However, Obuhatsa emphasized that the government must first investigate the root causes of low enrolment before making drastic decisions.
Future of Kenya’s Education System
The situation comes at a critical time as Kenya continues implementing reforms under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) system.
Education experts say better planning, proper resource allocation, and stronger coordination between institutions will be key to ensuring that all learners across the country receive quality education while avoiding wastage of public resources.
