The Ministry of Education is phasing out the flawed National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and introducing a more reliable platform – Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) – to enhance funding efficiency and real-time tracking in the education sector.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok made the announcement during the launch of the State of Education in Kenya report by Usawa Agenda and Zizi Afrique Foundation. He explained that KEMIS will transform how education data is collected, verified, and applied in policy and planning at every level.
“NEMIS is shrouded with inaccuracies that affect an array of activities, including resource allocation,” said Bitok.
“We are therefore investing in reliable data under KEMIS to ensure accurate system responsiveness that will allow real-time decision-making and funds disbursement.”
Bitok noted that the ministry has already begun strengthening the system, starting with a re-enrolment of all students to obtain an accurate figure of students in each school.
The new Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) will be rolled out across all levels of learning, from primary to university, and linked with key agencies such as the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The government hopes that KEMIS will seal long-standing loopholes in school capitation, particularly instances where outdated or inflated enrolment figures have distorted expenditure of funding.
With the introduction of KEMIS, the Ministry of Education says that school data will directly influence policy, resource allocation, and sector accountability.
The release comes at a time when education stakeholders are lamenting about anomalies in funding, including delayed capitation funds and ineffectiveness in the public education system.
The ministry says the step will wipe out such long-standing problems, paving the way for smoother and fairer delivery of services using a technology-enabled, data-driven approach through KEMIS.
