Kenyan universities are accelerating preparations to adopt Competency-Based Education (CBE), with the first cohort of students trained under the new system expected to join higher learning institutions in 2029.
The shift from the traditional 8-4-4 framework to a hands-on, skills-focused approach is set to transform teaching, assessments, and student admissions across the country.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) has cautioned that universities face major hurdles, including the need to retrain lecturers, redesign curricula, and secure adequate funding to make the transition successful.
CUE Chief Executive Mike Kuria underlined the urgency of addressing critical questions about the integration of CBE at the university level. He asked how the system will be defined in higher education, how it will differ from conventional programs, how learners will be evaluated, and what adjustments are needed in teaching methods and content delivery.
“These questions should be part and parcel of the discussions as we prepare for the first cohort of learners in 2029,” Kuria said.
Redefining Higher Education
The move to CBE requires universities to rethink the full scope of reforms, whether limited to course content or extending to teaching strategies, assessment models, faculty development, and admission standards.
CUE is convening stakeholders in Naivasha to link policy with practice and encourage institutions to align their programs with the reforms already rolled out in basic education.
CUE Board Chairman James Onyango Awino described the initiative as a historic “fifth revolution” in education, emphasizing that learning must become more student-centered and oriented toward real-world application.
“The methodology must change to suit the CBE learners. Course material will change. Assessment will change. Teaching methodology will change,” he said. Awino added that nurturing graduates capable of innovation, including “flying things into space,” will require significant investment in facilities and tools.
Moses Ngware, head of education at the African Population and Health Research Centre, urged that the reforms align with the country’s development agenda and labour market demands. “Is the framework solving national development issues? Does it meet industry demands?” he asked, citing studies showing that 60 per cent of employers struggle to fill vacancies due to a gap between graduates’ skills and market needs.
Roberta Malee Bassett, the World Bank’s Global Lead for Tertiary Education, highlighted the global relevance of the reforms. “The workforce is changing. Some jobs that will not exist in five years. CBE should be able to address that,” she said.
Charles Ong’ondo, CEO of KICD, pointed out that university programs must build on competencies students already acquire in senior school under CBE. Similarly, KNEC CEO David Njengere called on universities to rethink admission requirements, suggesting that evaluations go beyond KCSE results to include competencies, projects, and experiential learning.
Financial Hurdles
The drive to implement CBE comes amid a serious financial crunch for the higher education sector. Universities are still recovering from a crippling strike and face a Sh223 billion funding deficit, including Sh85.28 billion in unpaid bills. Many are struggling to pay staff, remit statutory deductions, and settle suppliers.
For the 2026–27 financial year, the sector requires Sh311.9 billion for recurrent costs but only has Sh155.2 billion available. Darius Ogutu, Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, acknowledged that rolling out CBE at university level will be more expensive than the current system. “We have to bring on board the conversation of the resources for the UCBE framework. It is going to be more costly than the current cohort,” he said.
Experts warn that if funding gaps persist, universities may struggle to meet routine obligations, let alone invest in laboratories, innovation hubs, digital learning tools, and large-scale faculty training needed for the successful implementation of CBE.
