A new policy paper has sounded the alarm on worsening educational disparities in Kenya’s North Eastern region, warning that systemic challenges and eroding trust in the national examination system are severely limiting students' access to higher education.
Authored by Ibrahim Hish Adan, the former Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Regional Director for North Eastern, the report scrutinizes Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) outcomes, particularly the 2015 results, in counties such as Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa.
It draws a comparison with better-performing counties, such as Makueni, and highlights how entrenched inequalities continue to deny learners in the region their rightful opportunities.
Among the most startling revelations is that 28% of all KCSE result cancellations in 2015 originated from North Eastern Kenya, affecting over 1,400 students.
These cancellations rendered many students ineligible for university admission, regardless of academic ability.
The report calls for an independent investigation into the causes of these disqualifications, suggesting they may stem from either administrative vulnerabilities or deeper systemic flaws.
The report also paints a grim picture of the region’s broader education ecosystem.
Chronic teacher shortages, dilapidated infrastructure, poverty, insecurity, cultural constraints, and language barriers are identified as primary drivers of the region’s academic underperformance.
In core subjects such as Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, and Sciences, students from North Eastern counties consistently score below national averages, effectively locking them out of competitive university programs like Medicine and Engineering.
Beyond the data, the paper also documents rising public distrust in the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
A growing number of parents, students, and educators believe that KNEC applies its grading system unfairly to the region, with some going so far as to accuse it of "weaponising" examinations to suppress advancement.
Although KNEC follows national grading rubrics, anecdotal accounts of top-performing students receiving inexplicably low scores have further fueled suspicions of bias and demoralised communities.
To address these issues, the policy paper outlines a multi-pronged set of recommendations.
These include targeted recruitment and support for local teachers, investment in modern school infrastructure, and expansion of boarding school facilities to provide secure and consistent learning environments.
It also calls for enhanced early childhood education and the integration of mother-tongue instruction to strengthen foundational learning.
Crucially, the paper emphasizes the need for transparency in national examinations.
It urges KNEC to clarify its grading processes, develop impartial complaint resolution mechanisms, and launch public awareness campaigns to restore faith in the system.
It also recommends a scientific investigation into the academic outcomes of students in the region to move the conversation beyond anecdotal evidence and toward evidence-based reforms.
The paper concludes with an urgent call to the Ministry of Education, the TSC, county governments, KNEC, and development partners to act decisively.
It stresses that North Eastern Kenya’s educational challenges are not only a matter of national inequality but a test of the country’s commitment to fairness, equity, and inclusive development.