The Kenyan government has already spent Sh3.3 billion on CBC classrooms infrastructure projects throughout the Rift Valley region. This is in preparation for the transition from junior secondary to high school in January 2023.
Jared Obiero, the director of education for the Rift Valley region, claimed that the government planned to construct 2,715 CBC classrooms in the huge area over two phases.
Obiero expressed his pleasure that the 1,735 classrooms constructed in the first stage of the CBC infrastructure project have already been completed and handed over to the management of the respective schools.
The project’s phase two progress
The project’s second phase, which calls for the construction of 980 classrooms, is currently in progress, according to the education director, with 238 of them already completed and handed over to the concerned schools.
However, he pointed out that construction on two classrooms in the Muchongoi area of Marigat, in Baringo County, had not yet begun, but he assured us that plans were in line for it to do so before the year ended.
While recognizing the CBC infrastructure project’s progress, the director said that the contractors were working around the clock to ensure that the work was completed on time. This is in preparation to ease the next year’s transition of grade six students to the junior secondary level.
Before the end of the current academic year, according to Obiero, they are hopeful that all of the CBC classrooms will be operational.
As a result, Obiero praised the commitment shown by the contractors and Education Ministry officials in making sure that the project was completed on time and advised parents to keep supporting government efforts to make the CBC curriculum succeed.
To replace the 8-4-4 educational system, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) conducted research and developed the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
The 2-6-3-3-3 education cycle that makes up the system was developed in 2017.
Why was the CBC infrastructure project brought?
To ensure a smooth transition, the system needed more classrooms, which is why the CBC infrastructure project was developed. The government directed that only local contractors would be allowed to win the tenders for the construction of classrooms in order to ensure that the community benefited from the change.
According to the directions for the program, the cost of constructing a single classroom would be set at Sh788,000 in all counties. Committees from the county and sub-county were tasked with keeping an eye on the development of the schools’ infrastructure.
Additionally, chiefs of the committees were responsible for monitoring that the contractors maintained the standards and quality. As the local artisans continue their construction work, they are expected to submit daily reports.
Dec 2021
10,000 CBC Classrooms in Kenya to Be Constructed By End Of 2022
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof. George Magoha recently announced that a total of 10,000 Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) Classrooms in Kenya, will be constructed before the end of 2022 for occupation by Junior Secondary Schools learners come January 2023.
Magoha made the announcement while speaking after breaking grounds for the construction of two classrooms at the Mombasa Secondary School for the physically handicapped, and inspecting the construction of a new state-of-the-art Mama Ngina Girls National secondary school in Shanzu, Nyali Sub County.
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He said that all local contractors awarded CBC classrooms tenders have already started the works, with the first phase of 5200 classrooms expected to be ready by April 2022. In a few regions where work has not yet commenced, the CS directed national government officials mandated to implement the project to kick start the process without further undue delay.
Allocation of funding for construction of the CBC Classrooms in Kenya
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier on directed the National Treasury to avail to the Ministry of Education close to US$ 71M for the construction of the 10,000 classrooms in secondary schools across all counties in the country. This was followed by the allocation of roughly US$ 292,000 for the construction of 42 new classrooms in Garissa, and US$ 362,000 for the construction of 52 classrooms in the Bureti sub-county, Kericho.
The project, which will benefit 26 and 52 secondary schools in Garissa and Kericho respectively will be implemented in two phases within a period of 3 months. In the first phase, a total of 26 classrooms will be delivered in Garissa, and 34 in Kericho, while the rest will be delivered in the second phase.
The entire project for the construction of 10,000 CBC Classrooms in Kenya is spearheaded by a multi-agency team comprising the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior, and the Coordination of National Government among other State Agencies.
10000 CBC Classrooms in Kenya to be constructed by end of 2022
The Ministry of Education is pleased with the progress made in developing Competency-Based Curriculum CBC Classrooms in Kenya for Junior Secondary students, especially in various secondary schools in Voi Sub-county.
Speaking during an inspection visit to track the construction of the classrooms that will house junior secondary students in January 2023, Mr. Okwatsa Newton, the Director of Education for Voi Sub-county and a member of the CBC Infrastructure Implementation Committee, stated that the whole building work was now 55% complete.
“The construction of five classrooms out of a total of 18 in Voi Sub-county are already finished and ready for use, while the remaining are making good progress,” said Mr. Okwatsa adding that the remaining classrooms will be ready before the exams begin.
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Mr. Okwatsa praises the Committee for its input in the project for the construction of CBC Classrooms in Kenya
Mr. Okwatsa praised the CBC Infrastructure Implementation Committee for serving as an advising body on various concerns, particularly those previously disregarded in the construction.
He stated that at first, there were difficulties at three schools where the building had not yet begun. The Committee’s interventions have yielded beneficial consequences. He praised the local contractors for adhering to the timeframes while expressing confidence in their ability to complete the projects on time.
