Parliament seeks public views on Education reform bills
By Ekuwam Sylvester and Purity Nafula (KNA)
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education has commenced nationwide public participation on six Education Reform Bills seeking to transform Kenya’s education sector under the Competency-Based Education system.
The Committee, chaired by Tinderet Member of Parliament (MP) Julius Melly, held its first public participation forum at Eldoret National Polytechnic Hall in Uasin Gishu County which attracted about 300 participants and more than 20 stakeholders.
The Bills are the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026; Basic Education Bill, 2026; Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill, 2026; Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training Bill, 2026; Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Melly said public participation is critical in ensuring Kenyans have an opportunity to influence laws that will shape the future of education.
He said the reforms are informed by recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform and that Parliament is constitutionally required to obtain citizens’ views before considering the legislation.
“We also want to hear the input of the public because we run Parliament and the country on behalf of the people of Kenya,” Melly said.
He urged Kenyans to submit their views and memoranda physically or through Parliament’s online platforms.
Melly said the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill was particularly significant as it seeks to establish a new framework for financing and placing students in universities and TVET institutions.
Under the proposed system, students would access loans to finance their education and repay them after completing their studies, reducing the direct tuition burden on parents.
“The parent is not to pay, and the student, after completion of education, will repay the loan,” he said.
The proposal generated debate, with stakeholders raising concerns over loan repayment and interest rates. Melly said some participants had proposed scrapping interest on student loans, while the Bill currently proposes a four per cent interest rate.
Participants also raised the possibility of reintroducing corporal punishment in schools, an issue Melly said would be captured among the views submitted to the Committee.
The Basic Education Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Basic Education Act, 2013, and introduce new provisions on school registration, governance, inspection and learner protection.
The Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill proposes a new legal framework for national assessments and repeal of the existing KNEC Act, while the Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training Bill seeks to strengthen teacher preparation and continuous professional development.
The Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill proposes measures to strengthen credential tracking and establish a national qualifications database, while the KICD Amendment Bill seeks to streamline the institute’s mandate and eliminate overlaps with the tertiary education sector.
Melly said the Committee would compile the views received and present them to the National Assembly for consideration.
Chief Principal of Eldoret National Polytechnic, Dr Charles Koech, said the proposed tertiary education financing reforms could improve access to technical and vocational training by easing the burden of fees on trainees.