The corridors of Senior Secondary Schools across Siaya County are eerily quiet. Despite the government’s directive for a 100% transition to Grade 10 under the new Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, headteachers are reporting alarmingly low reporting numbers. The situation in Siaya is a microcosm of a national crisis, defined by placement chaos, financial confusion, and a parent body pushed to the brink.

While Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has threatened to arrest parents who fail to enroll their children, the reality on the ground is far more complex than mere defiance. In Siaya, parents are grappling with a "computer system" that has assigned their children to day schools in different counties, an impossible logistical hurdle for a 15-year-old. "How can my son attend a day school in Kakamega when we live in Bondo?" asked one frustrated parent, waving a placement letter that felt more like a deportation order.

The Systemic Failure

The transition to the 2-6-3-3-3 system was meant to be seamless. Instead, it has hit a bottleneck at Grade 10. Schools in Siaya lack the requisite laboratories for the STEM pathways, and parents are hesitant to pay fees for institutions that they feel are ill-equipped.

• The Fee Dilemma: despite the government's insistence that no child should be sent away for lack of fees, principals argue that the capitation funds have not arrived. "We cannot feed students on government directives," said one principal who sought anonymity. "We need maize and beans, and suppliers want cash."
• Legal Threats vs. Reality: The government’s response—threatening jail time—is being viewed as tone-deaf. Local leaders in Siaya have urged the Ministry to fix the placement bugs before criminalizing parents.

A Lost Generation?

The fear is that thousands of students are falling through the cracks. In the fishing villages along Lake Victoria, boys are reportedly joining the fishing crews rather than reporting to schools where they have no uniform or desk. The "Grade 10 Crisis" is quickly becoming a dropout crisis.

As the first term grinds on, the empty desks in Siaya are a silent accusation against a hurried transition. Unless the Ministry of Education moves from threats to logistical solutions, the pioneer class of the CBC may well become its first casualties.