Garissa and Lamu stakeholders push for Arabic in curriculum

 Mandera South MP Abdul Haro chairs a National Assembly Education Committee stakeholders public participation forums in Garissa. [PBU]

Education stakeholders in Garissa and Lamu counties have urged Parliament to make the reforms responsive to the realities of learners in marginalised communities.

The views emerged on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, as the National Assembly Education Committee conducted public participation forums in Garissa and Lamu on six proposed Education Reform Bills.

At Garissa University, stakeholders led by the County Education Board called for the Arabic language to be formally recognised in Kenya’s education curriculum, with proposals for its introduction from Grade 4.

County Education Board Secretary Abdi Maalim said the proposal reflected the cultural and religious realities of the region, where many children are exposed to Arabic through madrasa education before entering formal schools.

“We are 90 per cent pastoralists and 95 per cent Muslims. Our journey to learning does not begin in a formal classroom but under a tree or in a madrasa at a very young age,” Maalim said.

He urged the Ministry of Education to establish a task force to examine how madrasa education could be integrated into the formal education system.

“We have enough books; Arabic is richer in literature than Chinese, German and other foreign languages,” he said.

Committee team leader Mandera South MP Abdul Haro similarly said the proposed higher education financing framework would have long-term consequences for families and students.

“These Bills, especially the one touching on higher education funding, are important to all of you. If enacted into law, it will shape the education of your children,” Haro said.

He urged stakeholders to focus particularly on the funding and repayment models, saying they should not become a burden to future generations.

The public participation forums form part of Parliament’s consideration of the proposed reforms before the Bills proceed through the legislative process.

Garissa Sub-County Director of Education Rashid Mohammad backed the proposal, saying Arabic should be introduced early enough to give learners an opportunity to develop proficiency.

“Arabic should be introduced at Grade 4 in our schools to give children an opportunity to master the language earlier in life,” Mohammad said.

The stakeholders also raised concerns over the financing of basic and higher education. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) called for stronger legal provisions on school capitation, arguing that delays and inadequate funding can leave head teachers struggling to meet basic operational needs.

Students from Garissa University similarly urged Parliament to strengthen provisions in the proposed Tertiary Education Bill to make higher education financing predictable and accessible.

Joseph Macharia, a university student, said legislation should protect students from disruptions caused by delays in funding.

“We have seen laws passed, but they only remain on paper. The law needs to protect students from funding delays,” he said.

The needs of learners with disabilities also featured prominently, with a representative of the deaf community calling for increased government funding to support learners living with disabilities.

In Lamu, another team of the Education Committee, led by Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo, heard submissions at the historic Fort Hall.

Stakeholders there focused on accountability, teacher development and the proposed changes to the education sector's institutional framework.

They called for the retention and strengthening of the Director of School Inspection, arguing that an empowered inspection function is necessary to promote accountability and maintain standards in schools.

Another major proposal was the recognition of the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) as a national institution under the proposed legislation.

Stakeholders argued that CEMASTEA has played an important role in strengthening teachers’ technical capacity, particularly in mathematics and science.

“This body has demonstrated the value of maintaining a national institution for teacher capacity development, and the result is that our students are performing better in technical subjects like mathematics,” stakeholders told the Committee.

They urged Parliament to explicitly recognise the institution in the Bill as part of the national framework for teacher professional development.

The issue of higher education financing also dominated discussions with Gisairo urging residents to scrutinise proposals that could introduce loans with interest as a means of financing students.

“There is a proposal that your children will be funded through a loan that is to be paid with interest. You need to keenly look at the cost that comes with this,” he said.

Gisairo cautioned that the repayment burden should not become prohibitive for graduates and their families.