Prof. Maurice Oduor Okoth

When exam results are manufactured instead of earned, we destroy not only the future of our children but also the credibility of our nation’s education system. KCSE malpractice is no longer just cheating; it is a well-oiled cartel that trades in the dreams of students and the sacrifices of parents. The true crisis in Kenya’s education is not poor performance, but...

When Safaricom launched Fuliza in 2019, it was marketed as a digital innovative way to help Kenyans complete transactions even when their M-Pesa wallets were empty. In short, Fuliza can remain a useful tool for millions of Kenyans, but only if it evolves from being a financial trap into a genuine lifeline. Options such as partial repayments, reasonable grace periods, or...

The initiative promised to harmonize university standards, enable seamless movement of students and academic staff, and ensure that degrees earned in one member state would be recognized across the region. The most significant and far-reaching effort so far is the Regional Quality Assurance Project, which gained traction in universities across all member states and has become a continental success story. Unless...

In the colonial era, schooling was designed primarily to produce clerks and low-level workers to serve the colonial administration. After independence in 1963, Kenya adopted the 7-4-2-3 structure, which promised broader access and a more comprehensive education. Recent data paints a detailed picture of both progress and strain. According to the 2024 school census conducted by the Ministry of Education...

AI is influencing everything from literature reviews and data analysis to writing assistance and predictive modeling. Perhaps most troubling is the rise of fake research outputs and deepfakes. We are entering an age where AI can fabricate data, generate credible-looking papers filled with false information, or even create fictitious authors and peer reviews. Let us work collectively—as departments, institutions, and national...

Under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, basic education is listed as a national government function, while counties oversee early childhood education and vocational training. Handing over all basic education functions to counties in one sweeping move would be risky and potentially chaotic. Pilot projects in select counties could serve as test cases, providing valuable lessons and refinements before the model...

Without a framework that fairly compensates academic qualification, the current remuneration model risks undermining both professional development and institutional integrity. One key objection is the fear that such a model might undervalue experience and performance, which are often crucial in determining an individual’s suitability for leadership roles. Linking basic salary to academic qualification is not a radical idea—it is a rational...

This emerging pattern signals a subtle yet deliberate form of administrative attrition—one that appears designed to force compliance without triggering resistance. Agencies have reported sudden, unexplained cuts to their annual funding, leaving them unable to run programmes, pay suppliers, or even meet basic operational costs such as utilities and rent. While streamlining state corporations is a commendable goal, the process must...

This unexpected decline in university applications comes on the heels of the 2024 KCSE results, which saw improved overall performance compared to previous years Out of the 244,463 candidates who scored the minimum university entry grade of C+ and above in the 2024 KCSE examinations, only 201,695 students submitted applications for university placement. As an education expert, I dare warn that...

A defining feature of CBE is its learner-centered and flexible approach. Students progress through their learning journeys at their own pace, moving forward only when they have fully demonstrated competence in a given area. To understand how CBE, CBET, and TVET work together in Kenya’s education landscape, it's helpful to think of them not as separate systems, but as...