Summary:
Kilifi residents dismiss claims that the county leads in over-age learners, urging the government to investigate underlying causes while emphasizing that late school entry should not overshadow learners’ determination to complete their education despite persistent regional challenges.
A section of Kilifi residents have downplayed the report by the Ministry of education released by Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba that Kilifi County recorded the highest proportion of over-age learners.
According to the CS Kilifi recorded those aged 16 years and above, at 64.90%, followed by Kwale at 64.78%, Garissa at 63.38%, Taita Taveta at 62.06%, and Mandera at 62.05%.
The residents took to social media with others saying that while the government should get to the root cause of over age learners and provide a lasting solution, some said the most important thing is that they were able to complete their junior school education.
“I was also a victim but never gave up. Just motivate them to continue with their education to university level,” said one of the residents on Facebook.
Another one said: “I am very proud to say l went to school late but managed to go through all stages.”
Meanwhile, Coastal Kenya remained mixed, with Kilifi ranked sixth with 40,217 candidates, far ahead of Kwale at 18th with 22,795, and Mombasa at 20th with 20,745, and Lamu was last nationally with only 3,488 candidates, signifying persistent educational challenges in remote coastal areas.
Northern and North Eastern counties dominated the bottom of the table.
A career educationist from Taita Taveta attributed the over age learners issue to repetition and truancy either due to poverty or social issues such as early pregnancies, drug abuse and cultural norms that fuel school dropout.
Transition rates in Kenya’s Coast region have varied, showing significant improvement in recent years (e.g., 98% for Form One enrollment in 2023) but historically lagging behind national averages due to poverty, early pregnancies, and cultural factors, with data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics showing lower rates (around 63%) and ongoing challenges despite 100% transition policies. Recent 2025 data also highlights general national attrition from the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) system, with over 150,000 learners failing to reach Grade 9, impacting all regions.
