Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has cracked the whip on school transition, ordering an immediate, nationwide "mop-up" operation to locate the thousands of learners who have failed to report for Grade 10. The CS revealed that the transition rate currently stands at 75%, leaving a worrying 25% of students in the wind.

Speaking in Nairobi this morning, Ogamba termed the gap "unacceptable" and directed National Government Administration Officers (NGAO)—from Chiefs to County Commissioners—to go door-to-door. The Grade 9 to Grade 10 transition is a critical pivot point in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), marking the entry into Senior School. Any child lost now is likely lost from the education system forever.

"We Will Find Them"

"We are not begging parents to take their children to school; we are enforcing the law," Ogamba stated firmly. "The government has paid the capitation. There is no excuse." The Ministry’s data shows that while urban centers like Nairobi and Kiambu have posted high reporting numbers, arid and semi-arid counties are lagging significantly behind.

• The Barriers: Poverty, teenage pregnancies, and a lack of clarity on the new Senior School pathways are cited as primary hurdles.
• The Strategy: The mop-up will involve physically tracing students using their NEMIS details and compelling parents to produce them.

The Senior School Test

This transition is the first major stress test for the Senior School infrastructure. With 88% of learners reportedly placed in their preferred schools, the hardware is ready. The challenge now is the software—the students themselves. As the deadline looms, the Ministry is racing against time to ensure that no child is left behind in the shift to the new system.