The Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training in Basic Education Bill, 2026

Background

The Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training in Basic Education Bill, 2026, addresses the governance, quality, and coordination of teacher education in Kenya. Prior to this Bill, teacher training institutions operated under varied management structures. The Bill seeks to harmonise pre-service preparation and continuing professional development by establishing two central statutory institutions to oversee training standards and standardise qualifications across basic education.

Key Amendments

The Bill revokes major legal orders governing current training institutions, specifically:

• The Education (Board of Governors) (Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa) Order
• The Education (Kenya Education Management Institute) Order

These organizations are dissolved, and their roles are consolidated under the newly established Kenya School of Education.

New Obligations

Registration and Licensing

• County Licensing: Every person intending to operate a teacher training college must apply for registration to the respective county education board (Clause 12).
• Qualified Personnel: Institutional administrators and education managers must meet the specific professional standards and credentials prescribed under the Act.

Academic and Curriculum Standards

• Strict Admissions: Institutions must only admit students meeting the minimum criteria set out in the First Schedule, which mandates a KCSE mean grade of 'C' plain for primary, secondary, and special needs teacher diplomas.
• Curriculum Compliance: Pre-service training must align with the curriculum and support materials developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Clause 7).
• External Assessment: Student assessments must be conducted independently by the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council (Clause 8).

Penalties

• General Penalty (Clause 47): Any person who commits an offence under this Act for which no specific penalty is provided is liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding KSh 1 million, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both.
• Unregistered Operations: Under Clause 11, operating an unregistered teacher training college or offering services as an education manager to an unregistered college constitutes an offence.

Transitional Provisions

• Transition of Colleges (Clause 50): 32 existing teacher training colleges listed in the Fourth Schedule (including Kericho, Tambach, Machakos, and Asumbi Teacher Training Colleges) are transited into campuses of the Kenya Teachers Training College. All assets, rights, liabilities, and staff contracts transition to the new College.
• Transition of Schools (Clause 52): 5 existing institutions listed in the Fifth Schedule are converted into branches of the Kenya School of Education, including the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) and the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI). All associated assets, staff, and legal proceedings are transferred to the School.