Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has dismissed claims by health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale that the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is a “mess” inherited by the current administration, arguing that the real problem lies in poor leadership and mismanagement of the education sector.
Speaking during a television interview on Wednesday night, Duale blamed the previous administration for challenges facing CBC, saying the Kenya Kwanza government is working to fix flaws in the system.
However, in a strongly worded statement issued, Matiang’i said the curriculum itself is not the issue, accusing the current administration of incompetence and chaotic handling of education reforms.
“The real mess we are witnessing today is not the curriculum itself, but the gross incompetence with which the administration he serves has managed the education sector,” Matiang’i said.
He pointed to the 100 per cent transition policy — which ensured all learners progressed from primary to secondary school — as a key reform that has been undermined under the current leadership despite being achieved through what he described as deliberate planning and system reforms.
Matiang’i argued that the outcome would have been the same regardless of the education system inherited by the current government, blaming what he termed consistent incompetence.
“Whether they inherited CBC, 8-4-4 or even 7-6-3, the result would have been the same,” he said.
The former Interior CS further noted that even Members of Parliament allied to the government have publicly raised concerns about the performance of senior officials at the Ministry of Education, accusing them of prioritising personal interests over effective service delivery.
“There is nothing wrong with the CBC. The real challenge is the incompetent and chaotic management of the education sector, which has resulted in poor implementation,” Matiang’i said.
Positioning himself ahead of the 2027 General Election, Matiang’i expressed optimism that a change in leadership would restore order and professionalism in government, particularly in education.
“When Kenyans rescue the country from incompetence and poor leadership in 2027, we will restore order, professionalism and results-driven leadership in the education sector and government as a whole,” he said.
The exchange underscores growing political tension over education reforms, with CBC remaining a contentious issue among policymakers, teachers, parents and political leaders.
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