Tharaka Nithi County Director of Adult and Continuing Education, Samuel Kabita, has urged residents who missed out on formal schooling to seize the opportunity offered by adult education programmes before the current system is phased out in 2027.
Speaking to KNA at Muringa Adult Secondary Education Centre in Chuka, Kabita explained that the Accelerated Education Programme, which enables adult learners to cover the syllabus in a shorter period, will be discontinued as Kenya fully adopts the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system from 2028.
“This is the time to act. Anyone who wishes to sit for KCSE through adult education must register before 2027. After that, the traditional examination pathway will no longer exist under CBE,” he cautioned.
Kabita said 57 adult learners have already registered for KCSE this year in Tharaka Nithi, terming it a sign of growing interest in continuing education.
He underscored the transformative role of adult learning in empowering communities with literacy, numeracy and digital skills.
“As a director, my priority is to ensure every adult in this county who missed the chance to pursue education earlier gets an opportunity now.
We are in a digital era, where education is not a privilege but a necessity. Adult education restores dignity, improves livelihoods and builds a literate society capable of driving national development,” he noted.
While acknowledging challenges such as a shortage of full-time instructors and limited learning materials, Kabita assured residents of the government’s commitment to strengthening the programme.
“Despite the constraints, we are determined to reach every corner of the county. The Ministry of Education has supported us before and will continue to expand access to lifelong learning,” he said.
Meru South Sub county Adult Education Officer, Francisca Nkirote, lauded the programme, saying adult learners are successfully joining universities just like their counterparts in formal schools.
She encouraged residents to take advantage of the free programme while appealing for more instructors to expand its reach.
By Dickson Mwiti and Christine Ngitori
