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Addressing the issue on Friday at State House during the launch of the Affordable Housing Programme Internship Programme, Ruto described expensive uniform policies as a potential avenue for corruption.
Figures from the Ministry of Education show that only around 400,000 of the 1.1 million students placed have reported so far, leaving more than 700,000 yet to start. National schools are recording strong attendance, while extra-county and sub-county institutions lag behind.
Introduced in 2017, CBC replaced the 8-4-4 system, which critics argued relied too heavily on examinations and memorisation. The new system aims to focus on skills, competencies, creativity, critical thinking, and learner-centred outcomes. Its design aligns with the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Vision 2030, and global education trends prioritising practical skills over rote learning.
The placement process relies on an automated system designed to ensure fairness, merit, and equity by matching students’ performance to available slots. Corrections such as gender errors were also handled during the review period.
Creative Arts and Sports emerged as the best-performed area, with 96.84 percent of learners meeting or going beyond expectations. Agriculture followed closely at 96.2 percent, while Kiswahili and Social Studies posted 93.11 percent and 92.93 percent respectively.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome said the expansion will allow KISM to train more learners in specialised fields that are essential to the country’s economic transformation.
Day school students will pay Sh9,374 annually, while those in special needs institutions will pay Sh37,210. The government will finance each student under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme at Sh12,870 annually, a decrease from Sh22,244. Special needs learners will receive a higher allocation of Sh32,600 per learner.
A special report by the Office of the Auditor-General revealed that 33 non-existent schools had received funding meant for public institutions.
According to internal reports, 719 schools were flagged for supplying incorrect bank details, raising fears of misdirected payments, while about 900 schools submitted incomplete records that left many learners unaccounted for.
The University Statistics 2024/2025 Report by the Commission for University Education shows that a total of 14,879 international students are studying in Kenya, representing 2.4 per cent of the overall university population of 628,541.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok explained that the delay followed a special audit by the Auditor General, which raised concerns that funds were not always reaching their intended institutions.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Wednesday said the restructuring is aimed at equipping adult learners with practical skills and knowledge that meet current market demands.