Kenya: Kenya Education Profile

Primary Education

The 8 years of Kenyan primary school education are free, but not compulsory. Pupils advance annually from one standard to the next. Should they completely fail their year-end examinations though, they may have to repeat. Most primary schools are national-owned, although standards may vary in rural areas.

Secondary Education

There are 3 categories of secondary schools, namely national-funded ones, private ones and harambee ones that receive a measure of national support. Students who obtained best primary school results attend the better national schools, while others must accept second-best. Next 4 years of study they write their kenya certificate of secondary education examination.

Vocational Education

Post-secondary school certificates and diplomas are offered by vocational schools and colleges. These cater for a wide array of professional subjects. In order of rank, they include polytechnics, training institutes, teacher training colleges and private institutions.

Tertiary Education

There are 30 universities in Kenya of which 23 are private and 7 national funded. The oldest of the latter group is the University of Kenya dating back to 1856 but only fully independent in 1970.

It comprises 7 campus colleges each headed by a principal, namely agriculture & veterinary sciences, architecture & engineering, biological & physical sciences, education & external studies, health sciences, humanities & social sciences, and business.

Education System in Kenya

Kenya Credentials