Gospel singer and former presidential candidate Reuben Kigame has delivered a withering critique of Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), warning that the system is structurally designed to sideline "interdisciplinary thinkers" and suffocate creative minds.

Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, the veteran educator and musician argued that the curriculum, touted by the government as the silver bullet for youth unemployment, is instead producing a generation of "compliant workers" lacking the philosophical depth to innovate.

The Death of the Polymath

Kigame’s primary contention is that the CBC’s rigid focus on technical "competencies" comes at the expense of broader intellectual development. By compartmentalizing learning into strict pathways, he argues, the system discourages students from connecting dots across different fields—a skill he terms "interdisciplinary thinking."

"We are telling our children that if you are a scientist, you cannot be a philosopher. If you are a creative, you have no business with governance," Kigame noted. "This siloed approach is dangerous. It sidelines the very minds that solve complex societal problems—the creative, interdisciplinary thinkers who don't fit into neat boxes."

He drew a sharp contrast between the current model and the holistic education of the past, suggesting that the rush to specialize is premature. "True innovation happens at the intersection of disciplines," he emphasized. "By forcing early specialization, we are effectively killing the next generation of Kenyan inventors and social reformers before they even bloom."

A 'Western' Import in an African Context

The criticism extended beyond pedagogy to the cultural roots of the curriculum. Kigame described the education system as a "Western import" that fails to address unique Kenyan realities. He lamented that the country is "exporting its children" to work abroad because the local education system does not align with the local economy.

• The 'Ghost' Analogy: Kigame characterized Kenya as a "nation of ghosts"—citing ghost schools, ghost students, and ghost workers—arguing that the education sector is riddled with systemic inefficiencies that no curriculum change can fix without a moral "reboot."
• University Dignity: He reminisced about the 8-4-4 era, noting that university students were once treated with dignity and provided with stipends (the famous 'boom'). Today, he argued, the new funding models have reduced students to beggars.

The Cost of 'Competency'

Kigame’s philosophical arguments land in a fertile ground of public frustration. For the average Kenyan parent, the CBC has become synonymous with spiraling costs. The requirement for constant practical materials—from printing papers to poultry for agriculture projects—has burdened households already grappling with the high cost of living.

"It is not just about the curriculum; it is about the commercialization of learning," Kigame warned. "When a parent in a rural county has to choose between buying supper or buying materials for a CBC project, we have lost the plot. We are creating a class system where only the rich can afford to be 'competent'."

Analysts have pointed out that while the government has poured billions into the transition—allocating over KES 10 billion annually to the Junior Secondary School (JSS) rollout alone—implementation remains uneven. Schools in marginalized areas often lack the laboratories and workshops required to teach the very competencies the curriculum demands.

A Call for a 'System Reboot'

Unlike critics who call for minor tweaks, Kigame is advocating for a fundamental overhaul. He insists that simply changing the syllabus without addressing the "software" of the nation—its values and governance—is futile.

"We need to reboot the system," he said, using a computing metaphor. "You cannot run new software on a crashed hard drive. Until we address the integrity of our leadership and the philosophy of our education, we are just shuffling deck chairs on a sinking ship."

As the debate over the university funding model continues to rage, Kigame’s voice adds a crucial layer: the reminder that education is not just about employability, but about the soul of the nation.