Across parts of Nairobi, Rift Valley, Nyanza and Central Kenya, parents arrived early only to discover that some schools have no classrooms, no laboratories and, in some cases, no teachers assigned for Grade 10. Headteachers quietly admitted they were “still preparing,” despite today being the official reporting date set by the Ministry of Education.
At a mixed day school near the Thika–Gatundu Road, parents were shocked after being told their children could only be admitted if they paid an extra “construction fee” ranging between KSh 15,000 and KSh 40,000. The money, parents were told, would be used to rush-build classrooms for Senior Secondary learners.
In Kisumu East, dozens of parents stood outside school gates after being informed that Grade 10 learners would be asked to “report later” once facilities were ready. Some said they had already paid full school fees, bought uniforms, and arranged transport, only to be sent back home with no clear timeline.
“This is panic. We were told placements were final. Now they want money or time,” said a parent outside a school near the Kondele–Manyatta junction.
Education officials privately admit that the rollout has exposed deep gaps in preparedness, especially in schools upgraded on paper but not in infrastructure. Teachers’ unions have also raised concerns that staffing for Senior Secondary was rushed, leaving some schools without subject specialists for CBC pathways.
The Ministry of Education has maintained that all selected schools were vetted, but parents are questioning how schools without classrooms or equipment were approved in the first place.
As confusion spreads nationwide, many parents are demanding urgent clarification: should children report, wait at home, or pay extra fees that were never announced?
With thousands of learners in limbo on reporting day, the Grade 10 rollout has begun under a cloud of anxiety rather than celebration.
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