The Kenyan government has taken a step towards assessing the readiness of its universities for the transition to Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) by inviting bids from qualified consultants. This move is aimed at evaluating university programmes for competency-based training and assessing the progress made by both public and private universities in aligning their curricula with the new system. The transition to CBET is set for 2029, and universities are expected to make significant changes to their curricula, teaching approaches, assessment systems, and infrastructure.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) is spearheading the development of the University Competency-Based Education Framework (UCBEF), which will guide universities in preparing for the arrival of the first CBE cohort. The framework aims to help institutions align university education with the competencies and learning approaches being developed under the country's new education system. According to CUE Board chair Prof James Onyango Awino, universities will require substantial resources to prepare for the transition.
The pioneer CBE cohort entered senior school in January 2026 and is expected to complete senior school after sitting their final basic education assessments in 2028. The transition to CBET is expected to require universities to place greater emphasis on learners' specialised career pathways selected in senior school, rather than relying solely on traditional examination grades. The 8-4-4 education system will be fully phased out in 2027 when the final cohort sits the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
The State Department for Higher Education has provided detailed specifications, terms of reference, and other requirements for the assignments. Eligible bidders are required to submit a certificate of incorporation, a valid Kenya Revenue Authority Tax Compliance Certificate, and a duly completed and signed Form of Tender. The tender documents are available free of charge on the Ministry of Education website and through the Public Procurement Information Portal.
Completed tenders must be submitted by October 6, 2026, at 11am. The evaluation comes against the backdrop of broader changes expected in the full transition from the 8-4-4 education system to the CBE, which places greater emphasis on competencies, practical learning, career pathways, and application of knowledge. Internationally, competency-based and outcome-based approaches have taken different forms, with countries including Singapore and Mauritius seeking to align higher education more closely with national development needs, industry skills, and adaptability.
Kenya's approach is expected to be locally grounded while drawing lessons from such experiences as universities prepare for a new generation of learners from 2029. The CUE has noted that in 2029, a new kind of learner will walk into Kenya’s universities, expecting to question, collaborate, experiment, and solve real problems. The question now occupying policymakers, regulators, and education experts is whether universities are ready for this new generation of learners.
The evaluation aims to establish the extent to which universities have progressed towards the new model and identify areas requiring further intervention. The framework wants to use the CBET evaluation to assess the readiness of universities for the transition and provide guidance on the necessary steps to be taken. The government is working to ensure that universities are adequately prepared to receive the first cohort of CBE learners in 2029.
Key points
- The Kenyan government has invited bids to assess university readiness for Competency-Based Education and Training ahead of 2029 transition.
- The transition to CBET is expected to require universities to make significant changes to their curricula, teaching approaches, assessment systems, and infrastructure.
- The evaluation aims to establish the extent to which universities have progressed towards the new model and identify areas requiring further intervention.
