The National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Education has begun a consultative review of four key education reform Bills aimed at restructuring student funding.
The MPs are also pushing to strengthen governance in learning institutions and aligning Kenya's education laws with recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform.
The committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, met officials from the Ministry of Education led by Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to scrutinise the proposed legislative changes and assess their legal, policy and financial implications before the Bills are considered by Parliament.
Among the proposals receiving the greatest attention is the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, which seeks to overhaul the financing of higher education by creating a single funding agency.
The Bill proposes the merger of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Universities Fund Board and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Funding Board into one institution to be known as the Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA).
According to the Ministry, the new authority will manage all aspects of higher education financing, including scholarships, student loans and institutional funding, with the aim of improving efficiency, eliminating duplication and ensuring equitable distribution of resources.
The proposed law also introduces a unified funding model based on means testing.
Under the framework, financial support will be determined by factors including a student's financial background, special needs, affirmative action requirements and the cost of the academic programme.
The Bill further proposes allowing minors admitted to tertiary institutions to access education loans and provides clear procedures for loan applications, scholarship awards, disbursement of funds and recovery of loans, including from beneficiaries living outside Kenya.
Another significant reform targets student placement where the Bill seeks to strengthen the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) as the national placement body for all tertiary institutions while separating placement from funding decisions.
If enacted, admission to universities, colleges and TVET institutions will be based strictly on merit, qualifications and programme choice, while applications for financial support will be processed independently.
The committee also examined the Basic Education (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to formally recognise heads of educational institutions and clearly define their responsibilities in implementing government education policies.
The proposed amendments designate school heads as agents of the Principal Secretary responsible for Basic Education, providing greater legal clarity on their administrative roles.
Lawmakers further reviewed proposed amendments to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Act, which seek to abolish the Academic Committee on grounds that its functions duplicate those of the KICD Board.
Under the proposal, the Board would instead have the flexibility to establish committees or expert panels whenever necessary to support curriculum development and other statutory functions.
Changes have also been proposed to the Kenya National Educational Assessment Council (KNEAC) Act.
The amendments recommend scrapping the proposed National Examination Appeals Tribunal, with all examination-related appeals instead being handled by the existing Education Appeals Tribunal to avoid duplication of institutions.
Melly said the review process is intended to ensure that the proposed laws are practical, financially sustainable and consistent with Kenya's existing education framework.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba defended the reforms, saying they are designed to improve coordination within the education sector while creating a more efficient system for financing and managing tertiary education.
Members of the committee observed that the proposed reforms are expected to strengthen governance, enhance accountability and streamline the administration of education services from basic education to tertiary institutions.
The legislative review follows recommendations made by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, which was established to assess the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and recommend changes to improve the quality, accessibility and sustainability of Kenya's education system.
