Kenya’s decision to reform its education system and adopt Competency-Based Education (CBE) is anchored in both constitutional mandates and national development goals.  

The Constitution of Kenya (2010) provides a strong legal foundation for these reforms.

Article 53(1)(b) guarantees every child the right to free and compulsory basic education, underscoring the state’s obligation to offer inclusive and equitable learning opportunities.

Article 10 emphasises national values and principles such as equity, social justice, and inclusiveness, while Chapter 6 on Leadership and Integrity demands an education system that nurtures ethical and responsible citizens.

The CBE framework also aligns with efforts to promote Kiswahili as a national language, and English as an official language, and enhance the teaching of Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), Braille, and indigenous languages.

It supports the use of accessible communication formats and technologies for learners with disabilities.

Moreover, Kenya Vision 2030 outlines the need for integrating early childhood into primary education, reforming secondary curricula, modernising teacher training, and developing programmes for learners with special needs.

A 2009 evaluation of the 8-4-4 system revealed critical shortcomings—overemphasis on exams, lack of formative assessments, inflexible pathways, and gaps in technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills—necessitating a transformative and inclusive shift in education.

In Part 3 of this series, I explored the placement, assessment, and grading of learners under the CBE system.

In this fourth instalment, I shed light on School-Based Assessment (SBA) and examine the structural and pedagogical shifts that are reshaping the country’s education landscape, in addition to delving into the rationale behind Kenya’s curriculum reforms.

School-Based Assessment

Kenya’s CBE system is revolutionising how learners are prepared for their future—not only through what they learn but also through how they are assessed.

Central to this transformation is SBA, a continuous, multi-dimensional evaluation method that plays a key role in classifying learners for senior school placement.

Unlike traditional examinations that focus heavily on final scores, SBA is rooted in a more holistic and learner-centred philosophy.

It employs a wide array of tools to capture not just academic achievement, but also personal interests, strengths, talents, and growth over time.

These assessments help inform the most appropriate senior school pathway for each learner—be it in STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Sciences.

One of the key tools is the questionnaire, used to explore a learner’s preferences, aspirations, and attitudes toward various subjects.

These provide insight into where a learner feels most motivated and confident, laying the groundwork for future academic choices.

Learners are also guided to build a Career Portfolio, a dynamic record of their learning experiences, achievements, interests, and career goals.

This portfolio becomes a reflective tool that helps both learners and educators understand a learner’s growth and passion areas over time.

Rubrics are used extensively to assess performance across tasks.

A rubric is an evaluation tool that outlines the key criteria for an assignment, assessment, or learning outcome.

By clearly defining expectations and performance levels, rubrics promote transparency and consistency in grading.

Whether assessing a science experiment or a creative art project, rubrics ensure that learners are evaluated fairly and constructively.

Projects, both individual and group-based, allow learners to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges.

These hands-on tasks encourage innovation, collaboration, and critical thinking—all core competencies under the CBE system.

Placing dreams with purpose

To capture reflective learning, learners maintain journals where they document thoughts, challenges, and lessons from their academic journey.

This encourages self-awareness and a growth mindset. Observation schedules, checklists, and anecdotal records are used by teachers to track learner behaviour, participation, and skills development over time.

These tools provide valuable feedback on a learner’s consistency and engagement, especially in non-examinable but essential areas such as teamwork and initiative.

Written tasks, oral and aural questioning, and narratives provide further opportunities to assess communication skills, comprehension, and the ability to articulate ideas.

These forms of assessment accommodate diverse learning styles and ensure that all learners are given a fair platform to demonstrate their understanding.

Finally, learner profiles are compiled using the data gathered from all these tools.

These comprehensive records summarise each learner’s strengths, needs, and performance trends, serving as a guide for placement into senior school pathways where they are most likely to excel.

In sum, the school-based assessment system under Kenya’s CBE model is not just about scores—it’s about understanding the whole learner.

By using varied and inclusive tools, the system ensures that every learner is placed on a pathway that aligns with their unique capabilities and dreams.

This is not merely an assessment for placement, but an assessment for growth, purpose, and lifelong learning.  

Structural shifts

Kenya’s CBE is ushering in a bold new era in the country’s learning landscape—one that reflects a profound shift in both structure and pedagogy.

At its core, CBE is designed to go beyond academic performance, placing greater emphasis on the holistic development of learners, including their values, attitudes, and practical life skills.

Unlike the previous 8-4-4 system that was heavily focused on content coverage and examinations, CBE champions a learner-centred and pathway-based approach, where students are guided according to their interests, abilities, and future aspirations.

It is a shift away from the one-size-fits-all model to an inclusive and adaptive framework that nurtures diverse talents and competencies across Kenya.

Alongside these changes, the CBE system has introduced new educational terminologies that mirror its shift in philosophy and approach.

What were once known as “subjects” are now referred to as Learning Areas, a term that captures the broader focus on not just knowledge, but also skills and values.

In place of “specialisations,” the term Pathways is now used, reflecting the structured academic and career routes learners can pursue based on their interests and abilities.

Within each pathway, learners can choose from more specific areas of study known as Tracks.  

Furthermore, the curriculum has adopted the terms Strands and Sub-strands in place of “topics” and “sub-topics,” respectively—language that aligns with the spiral, progressive nature of learning emphasised under CBE.

These changes are not merely semantic; they signify a deeper transformation in how education is conceptualised and delivered in Kenya.

These terminology changes are more than cosmetic—they signal a paradigm shift in how education is delivered and understood.

Teachers are no longer just content providers but facilitators and mentors who guide learners through active exploration, reflection, and collaboration.

Ultimately, the reforms in Kenya’s education system under CBE represent a shift toward a more responsive, inclusive, and forward-looking model.

It is a commitment to raising a generation of engaged, empowered, and ethical citizens, equipped not just to pass exams, but to lead, innovate, and build a better Kenya for all.

The Author is a Professor of Chemistry at University of Eldoret, a former Vice-Chancellor, and a Quality Assurance Expert