Education stakeholders have rallied behind a raft of new Bills that promise to dismantle bureaucratic silos and streamline the funding of university and TVET education.

A major transformation of Kenya’s education sector is underway, and for once, unions, parents, and administrators are singing from the same hymn sheet. Stakeholders have overwhelmingly endorsed the seven new Bills approved by the Cabinet, which seek to overhaul the governance and financing of the entire education system.

The reforms, anchored on the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), aim to end the chaotic duplication of mandates that has frustrated students for years. The centerpiece of this legislative package is the creation of a "One-Stop Shop" for student funding.

The Big Merger

The most celebrated proposal is the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill. This legislation will merge the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Universities Fund, and the TVET Funding Board into a single, powerful authority. No longer will students have to apply to multiple agencies for placement, loans, and scholarships.

“This is the efficiency we have been demanding,” said a representative of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU). “A single data set, a single application, a single disbursement. It cuts the red tape that was strangling our students.”

• Assessment Reform: KNEC will be rebranded as the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council (KNEAC), shifting focus from exams to competency monitoring.
• Curriculum Focus: KICD’s mandate will be strictly limited to basic education, freeing it from tertiary curriculum entanglements.
• Quality Assurance: The changes clarify the roles of the Ministry versus the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), reducing friction.

A New Dawn for TVETs

The reforms also place a heavy emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). By harmonizing the funding and curriculum development for technical colleges, the government hopes to restore dignity and viability to the vocational path.

Implementation Challenge

While the applause is loud, the hard work lies ahead. Passing the Bills in Parliament is step one; dismantling and rebuilding statutory bodies without disrupting ongoing academic calendars is step two. However, the consensus among stakeholders suggests that the sector is ready for the surgery required to save the patient.