Kenya’s Basic Education Bill, 2026, published on 24 July 2026, would require any school offering a foreign system such as Cambridge IGCSE to apply to the Cabinet Secretary for approval. The Cabinet Secretary would set regulations for registration, licensing, accreditation and quality assurance. The Bill is still at public participation and has not passed; nothing changes until it is enacted.
What does the Basic Education Bill 2026 say about foreign-curriculum schools?
It gives foreign systems of education their own clause for the first time. Clause 24 of the Basic Education Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bills No. 50) reads:
(1) A person or institution seeking to offer a foreign system of education in Kenya shall apply to the Cabinet Secretary for approval. (2) The Cabinet Secretary shall make regulations for the registration, licensing, accreditation and quality assurance of foreign system of education.
Kenyan education reporting notes that the current Act lacks an express framework for IGCSE, British, American and other foreign systems (EducationNews, 19 August 2026). The detail of what IGCSE schools must do would therefore sit in regulations that have not yet been written.
What other rules in the Bill apply to IGCSE schools?
The general rules for all basic education institutions, public or private:
| Clause | What it requires |
|---|---|
| 25 | Every institution offering basic education must be registered. Registration is “provisional for a term of one-year renewable for one further term of one year until the institution is quality assured” |
| 26 | Enough registered teachers, suitable facilities and premises, occupational health and safety compliance, adequate infrastructure |
| 27(2) | Applications go to the County Education Board, covering governance, promoters’ qualifications, programmes, staff qualifications, infrastructure and the “financial ability of the promoters” |
| 65(4) | An inspector may, with the County Education Board, “order the closure of a school, for a specific period until the basic standards are met” |
| 68(2) | Assessment “conducted as provided for under the Kenya National Examinations Council Act” |
| 103 | General penalty: a fine “not exceeding two hundred thousand shillings” or up to twelve months’ imprisonment, or both, for a first conviction |
For an established IGCSE school, the practical changes would be a formal approval route for its foreign curriculum and registration through the County Education Board. It would also face stronger inspection powers, including temporary closure.
Does the Bill require IGCSE schools to teach Kiswahili and Kenyan history?
No. The Bill contains no clause requiring Kiswahili or Kenyan history in foreign-curriculum schools. That requirement comes from a 2016 Ministry of Education directive. The Standard reported that “it will now be mandatory for all international schools that do not follow the Kenyan curriculum to teach Kenyan history and Kiswahili” (The Standard, 29 November 2016), with compliance expected by April 2017. Schools should keep meeting that directive, and watch whether the new regulations restate or change it.
Where does the Bill stand?
At public participation. The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education held public hearings from 14 to 25 September 2026 across 31 counties, finishing at Parliament Buildings. Written memoranda were due by 24 September 2026 (EducationNews, 14 September 2026). After the committee reports, the Bill still needs to pass the National Assembly and receive assent, and the Cabinet Secretary must then write the regulations. Clause 107 would repeal the current Basic Education Act (Cap. 211).
How does CBC relate to IGCSE schools?
They are parallel systems, and the Bill does not merge them. Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum reached a milestone in 2025. The first Grade 9 national assessment, the KJSEA, was sat by 1,130,459 learners in late October and early November 2025. Those learners entered senior school on 12 January 2026, choosing between STEM, Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports pathways. KJSEA results use an eight-point scale in four bands, from Exceeding to Below Expectations (Kenyans.co.ke; Daily Nation).
For IGCSE schools, the most practical CBC question is admissions. A student moving from CBC at Grade 9 or senior school entry needs a clear placement route into Year 10 or Year 12, so IGCSE schools should publish a placement policy. It also helps to explain to families how IGCSE and A Level grades differ from the new CBC grading.
What should IGCSE school leaders in Kenya do now?
Prepare for registration and approval, not curriculum change.
- Audit registration documents against Clauses 25–27: teacher registration, premises, health and safety, governance and promoters’ records.
- Keep the 2016 directive in place: Kiswahili and Kenyan history continue.
- Brief the board and owners on the approval and closure powers, and the penalties.
- Follow the Committee report and the draft regulations under Clause 24(2), which will set the detail.
- Keep assessment evidence strong. An inspection regime focused on “national and international standards” will ask how the school knows its students are progressing.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy has been used by Cambridge schools in East Africa. At Haven of Peace Academy in Dar es Salaam, Tutopiya reports that AI Buddy supported Cambridge IGCSE and A Level students when teacher availability was limited, scaling from a 22-student pilot to 160 students. For Kenyan IGCSE schools preparing for tighter quality assurance, AI Buddy’s instant marking and cohort analytics provide a continuous record of attainment and progress by subject and topic.
Frequently asked questions
Will Kenya’s new law ban IGCSE schools?
No. The Basic Education Bill, 2026 requires schools offering a foreign system to apply to the Cabinet Secretary for approval and to meet registration and quality-assurance rules. It does not ban foreign curricula.
What is the difference between IGCSE and CBC in Kenya?
CBC is Kenya’s national Competency-Based Curriculum, assessed by KNEC through the KJSEA at Grade 9 and later senior school assessments. IGCSE is a Cambridge qualification examined by Cambridge International.
Has the Kenya foreign curriculum schools bill passed?
Not as of 24 September 2026. It is at the public participation stage before the National Assembly’s Education Committee.
Do international schools in Kenya have to teach Kiswahili?
Yes, under a 2016 Ministry of Education directive covering international schools that do not follow the Kenyan curriculum. The 2026 Bill does not add a new requirement.
For more countries, see Cambridge & Edexcel Schools by Country.
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Sources
- Parliament of Kenya, The Basic Education Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bills No. 50, 24 July 2026)
- EducationNews, Kenya moves to strengthen oversight of foreign curriculum schools (19 August 2026) and Parliament opens public hearings on six education bills (14 September 2026)
- Daily Nation, Foreign curriculum schools face tighter regulation under proposed law (13 August 2026)
- The Standard, International schools to teach Kiswahili (29 November 2016)
- Kenyans.co.ke, KNEC releases 2025 KJSEA results