The Basic Education Bill 2026 is now before Parliament after a countrywide public participation exercise that finished on 2 October 2026. The hearings collected views from teachers, parents, school heads, unions and learners; the submissions will shape whether and how the proposed education reforms become law.
Key Takeaways
- Public participation completed: Committee visited all 47 counties to collect submissions.
- Next steps are parliamentary: committee retreat, review, proposed amendments, report, debate and vote.
- Major proposals: classification of institutions, comprehensive school model, stronger regulation of private schools and anti-fees measures.
- Learner protections: guaranteed re-entry after pregnancy, recognition of learners with disabilities, ban on corporal punishment and dropout monitoring.
Why the public hearings matter
Public participation is a constitutional requirement. By holding sessions in all 47 counties, the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education gathered a wide range of views so Parliament can consider lived experience from across the country, not only Nairobi.
The hearings gave teachers, parents, students, unions, religious groups and private schools an opportunity to submit written memoranda and make oral presentations. These submissions will be analysed and used to decide whether the bills should be amended before moving through the remaining legislative stages.
What happens next in the legislative process
- Committee retreat: Members will collate and analyse thousands of submissions from the counties.
- Review and amendments: The Committee will identify bill provisions that need change and propose amendments where justified.
- Committee report: A formal report with recommendations will be tabled in the National Assembly.
- Parliamentary stages: Debate, possible further amendments and voting will follow before any bill becomes law.
What the Basic Education Bill 2026 proposes
The Basic Education Bill 2026 contains wide-ranging changes that touch on school structure, governance, access, learner welfare, quality assurance and private school regulation.
Structure and comprehensive school model
The bill classifies basic education institutions as either public or private and introduces a comprehensive school model that combines primary and junior secondary (JSS) in a single institution. This aims to align school structure with the Competency-Based Curriculum and to ease transitions for learners. Schools preparing Grade 10 learners will want to review the proposed changes alongside available curriculum resources such as the Grade 10 curriculum designs and the Grade 10 exams available for practice and planning.
Governance: County Education Boards and Boards of Management
The bill retains County Education Boards and sets their composition and roles. It proposes that County Commissioners chair these boards, with County Directors of Education as secretaries. Boards of Management (BoMs) would see changes in membership: teacher and student representatives are removed under the draft. To increase transparency, BoM members would be required to declare conflicts of interest on matters before them.
Access, compulsory education and learner protection
- Compulsory basic education: The bill strengthens parents’ legal obligations to ensure school attendance.
- No admission tests in public schools: Admission exams would be banned to prevent discrimination and widen access.
- Guaranteed re-entry: Learners who miss school because of pregnancy or economic hardship would have the right to return.
- Special needs recognition: The law would explicitly recognise learners with disabilities and require support.
- Child protection: The bill bans corporal punishment and sets standards for discipline that protect learners’ rights.
- Dropout monitoring: Heads of institutions would be required to follow up on absenteeism to reduce dropouts.
Quality assurance, data and regulation
The proposals expand quality-assurance powers by creating a Director of the school inspectorate with zonal reach and emphasise the use of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) for data-driven planning. For private schools, the bill tightens registration rules and makes illegal fee collection a personal liability to curb extra charges that burden families.
Questions likely to shape debate
Several provisions will attract debate in Parliament. Stakeholders are likely to question the removal of teacher and student representation on BoMs, the expanded executive powers of the Cabinet Secretary for Education, and the role of County Commissioners as board chairs. How the Committee reflected these concerns in its report will show whether public participation influenced the final texts.
How teachers, parents and schools can stay engaged
Engagement does not end with the hearings. Stakeholders should track the Committee’s report, follow parliamentary debates and engage their Members of Parliament where necessary. Schools adapting to the proposed structure and curriculum can use the site’s CBC resources such as CBC curriculum designs and CBC lesson plans for classroom planning while the bills progress.
Bottom line: The 47-county public participation exercise concluded, but the Basic Education Bill 2026 and the wider education reform bills still require parliamentary review, possible amendment and voting before they become law. Stakeholders should keep following the process closely to influence final decisions that will affect admissions, governance, discipline and teaching across Kenyan schools.
