Grade 10 woes: 1,600 Senior Schools have no labs

Education CS Dr Julius Ogamba and PS Prof Julius Bitok during the releasing of 2025 KCSE results at AIC Chebisas Boys in Eldoret Uasin Gishu Country on December 9, 2026. [Peter Ochieng, Standard] At least 1,600 secondary schools across the country lack functional laboratories as teaching and learning for the first cohort of Grade 10 students under the Competency-Based Curriculum begins on Monday. This raises concerns over equity and preparedness in senior secondary education. The reporting deadline closed on January 21, with the Ministry of Education announcing that official teaching and learning is set to start on Monday, but a lack of specialised facilities required to support science-based subjects now threatens smooth operations. In response, the government says it will begin the construction of 1,600 modern laboratories starting this month, following a nationwide assessment carried out in 2025 to determine infrastructure gaps in schools selected to offer senior secondary education. President William Ruto announced the plan on Thursday during the centenary celebrations of Mang'u High School, in a speech read on his behalf by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migosi Ogamba, acknowledging the pressure facing schools as the new curriculum takes root. "I am fully aware that as this institution has grown over the years, it has faced increasing pressure on both its physical infrastructure and human resources," Ruto stated. "My administration is determined to confront these challenges; not only for this school, but across the entire public education system," he added. The remarks were delivered during celebrations to mark 100 years since the establishment of Mang'u High School, an institution founded by the Holy Ghost Fathers that has produced a President, two Vice-Presidents and generations of leaders in public service and the private sector. Ogamba said the laboratories are part of a wider infrastructure investment meant to ensure schools are properly equipped, particularly for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. "Beginning this month, we are constructing 1,600 modern laboratories across the country to ensure our schools are properly equipped, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," he said. The schools set to benefit from the project were identified last year after the Ministry of Education conducted an assessment to determine what facilities each institution required to effectively implement senior secondary education. However, the lag between the mapping exercise and actual construction has left Grade 10 learners exposed to uneven learning conditions. "This administration remains committed to strengthening education through sustained investment in infrastructure, teacher recruitment and far-reaching reforms," the CS stated. Adding that, "Our over arching goal is to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality, relevant and future-ready education." Beyond laboratories, the CS highlighted broader investments in the sector, revealing that education now accounts for 30 per cent of the national budget, with allocations rising from Sh500 billion in 2022 to Sh702 billion in the current financial year. "That is why we have identified education as a key pillar in our ambition to elevate Kenya to first-world status within our lifetime," he said. The CS also noted the government had recruited 24,000 teachers in January to bring the total number hired over the last three years to 100,000."We have retooled nearly 400,000 teachers across primary, junior and senior schools and teacher training colleges, to equip them with skills required to deliver Competency-Based Education," he said. The President also pointed to reforms in education financing, saying the student-centred funding model in higher education had stabilised public universities previously facing financial collapse.

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