The government’s celebrated 100% transition policy was meant to be the great equalizer, but without decoupling financial support from academic grades, it has morphed into a system that penalizes poverty and entrenches inequality across the nation.

When the government announced the 100% transition policy, the logic was sound and the moral imperative clear: no child should be denied a secondary education. It was hailed as a silver bullet for illiteracy and a bridge across Kenya’s widening social chasm. However, as the dust settles, a grim reality is emerging in our schools. The policy, while noble in intent, is failing in execution because it treats unequal students as if they are running on a level playing field.

The Grade-Funding Paradox

The core rot lies in the financing model. Currently, the most lucrative bursaries and scholarships are reserved for the "bright and needy"—a euphemism for students who score high marks. But this ignores a fundamental truth: academic performance is often a mirror of socioeconomic stability. A child from a slum in Nairobi or a drought-stricken village in Turkana cannot compete fairly with a child from a stable home. By tying funding to grades, we are effectively punishing poor children for the circumstances of their poverty.

Coleman Ombok, in a stinging critique, notes that we are "lumping learners into distinct groups" based on their family's bank balance rather than their potential. The student who struggles academically is often the one who needs the most support, yet they are the first to be abandoned by the system. They are pushed into Day Secondary Schools with crumbling infrastructure, while the state cheers for high enrollment numbers that mask a crisis of quality.

• Decoupling Finance from Grades: Bursaries should be awarded based on need alone, not KCPE scores. A C-student from a poor home needs fees just as much as an A-student.
• Holistic Education: We must accept that not every child is wired for an academic path. Technical and vocational routes must be dignified and funded equally.
• The Invisible Dropouts: While enrollment is high on paper, "retention" is the real metric. Thousands are technically enrolled but effectively absent due to lack of lunch money or uniforms.

A call to Redefine Success

We are creating a lost generation of students who are in school but not learning, present but not participating. The Ministry of Education must urgently review its capitation model. If the 100% transition is to be more than a political slogan, it must be backed by 100% support for every child, regardless of their ability to memorize a syllabus.

It is time to stop celebrating the quantity of students in class and start worrying about the quality of their future. Education is a right, not a reward for being smart.