Governor Kahiga Moves to Rescue Nyeri’s Low-Enrolment Schools

By James Murimi - Reporter

Kenya, 1 September 2026 - Nyeri County is weighing a major overhaul of struggling senior secondary schools amid concerns over declining enrolment that is threatening to leave millions of shillings worth of education infrastructure underutilised.

Governor Dr Mutahi Kahiga said on Tuesday that the county would assess schools experiencing low enrolment and explore measures to restore their viability, including transforming some into centres of excellence or putting their existing facilities to alternative educational use.

Kahiga said the review was necessary to ensure investments made by the Government, communities, sponsors and parents in classrooms, laboratories, ICT facilities and other infrastructure continued to benefit learners.

“Some schools can be revitalised and repositioned as centres of excellence, while in cases where senior-school enrolment may not be sustainable, existing infrastructure can be explored for alternative productive use, including supporting junior secondary education,” he said.

The governor spoke after a consultative meeting on the future of education in Nyeri County convened by the Nyeri County Education Board and the county government.

The meeting brought together Deputy Governor David Kinaniri, Nyeri Town MP Dunn Maina and other education stakeholders to deliberate on the declining number of learners in some senior secondary schools.

Kahiga said the challenge went beyond enrolment figures, warning that continued decline could undermine the utilisation of public and community investments in education.

“This is not merely about numbers. It is about ensuring that the investments made by the Government, communities, sponsors and parents are fully utilised for the benefit of our children,” he said.

The governor said Nyeri had historically been recognised for academic excellence, discipline, strong school leadership and dedicated teachers, and called for concerted efforts to reclaim and strengthen the county's reputation.

He said the county would rely on evidence before making decisions on the affected schools, with each institution expected to be assessed to establish the causes of declining enrolment and identify practical and sustainable interventions.

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Kahiga said political leaders, education officials, school administrators, teachers, Boards of Management, parents, communities and sponsors must all participate in finding solutions.

“Our decisions must be guided by evidence, equity, sustainability and, above all, the best interests of our children,” he said.

The discussions come as the transition to the Competency-Based Education system continues to reshape demand for senior secondary school places, forcing education stakeholders to rethink how existing institutions and facilities can best serve learners.

Kahiga said schools that still have potential should be supported and repositioned to attract learners, while institutions whose senior-school enrolment is unlikely to become sustainable could have their infrastructure put to productive use.

The governor was accompanied by Education CECM Margaret Macharia, while Nyeri County Education Board members were led by chairman Dr Wanjohi Githinji.

Also present was County Commissioner Josephat Biwott, representatives of Nyeri MPs and other education stakeholders.

Kahiga said the county's objective was to restore Nyeri's reputation as a leading education hub while ensuring that no public investment in schools was left idle.