Have Kenyan Schools Deteriorated Since Matiang’i Left the Education Ministry?

For many Kenyans, the period when Dr. Fred Matiang’i served as Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education is seen as a time when serious problems like exam cheating and weak management were tackled head-on. When he was moved out of the education docket, critics claim that the strong hand he brought was lost — and that this has contributed to a perceived decline in the quality and stability of schools across the country.

1. Strong Reforms Under Matiang’i

While he was CS (from 2015 to 2018), Matiang’i introduced some of the most dramatic reforms the sector had seen in years:

• He reshaped the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to reduce cheating and increase accountability.
• He enforced stricter security of national exams and held school leaders responsible for integrity.
• Schools received free textbooks and scholarship programs expanded, improving access and some aspects of quality.

These efforts were widely credited with restoring credibility to national examinations and making schools more disciplined — even if results initially looked more difficult.

2. Aftermath: Public Perception of Decline

Since Matiang’i moved away from the education docket, many Kenyans feel that the momentum of reform has slowed. Some issues people point to include:

• Funding challenges: Reports show that government capitation funding is no longer sufficient to meet basic needs like infrastructure and daily operations.
• Boarding school closures: Hundreds of schools have been closed or forced to comply with new safety standards, creating confusion and disruption for students and parents.
• School closures or mergers: Discussions about merging or closing thousands of schools due to falling enrollment and financial strain highlight systemic stress.
• Teacher shortages and curriculum issues: Many teachers and parents complain that the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) faced challenges like insufficient textbooks, few trained teachers, and gaps in implementation — problems that critics argue weren’t fully addressed after Maitang’i’s tenure.

3. Why Some See Deterioration

People who believe schools have declined often cite the absence of the strong enforcement style Matiang’i was known for. During his leadership, debates over exams and discipline were intense, and many of the dramatic changes in school management were directly attributed to his leadership style.

After his departure, critics say:

• Leadership in the Ministry has been less visible and less decisive.
• Policy continuity has weakened, leaving school heads uncertain and inconsistent in handling challenges.
• Persistent problems like funding shortages, overcrowded classes, and poor implementation of curriculum reforms have strained learning environments.

Whether this amounts to true deterioration is debated, but the belief remains strong among many parents, teachers, and journalists that strong central leadership — like that associated with Matiang’i — helped hold schools to higher standards.

4. A Complex Picture

It’s important to realise that school quality is shaped by many things beyond one person’s influence. Issues like government budgets, teacher training systems, curriculum transitions, economic pressures on families, and broader governance trends all play major roles.

So while many Kenyans attribute a slowdown in progress to Matiang’i’s absence, analysts point out that educational challenges are structural and multifaceted, and no single leader can fix them permanently. Education outcomes are linked to long-term investment and consistent support from policymakers, teachers, and communities.