The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was implemented in Kenya in December 2017, replacing the 8-
4-4 system of education that had been in place since 1985[2][4][6]. The CBC was developed by the Kenya
Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and is a response to the shortcomings of the previous
system, which was heavily exam-oriented and did not cater to the different abilities of students[2]. The
CBC is an education system that emphasizes what learners can do rather than what they know[2][3]. It
aims to promote knowledge application and equip learners with actual life skills they need to be
innovators and creators of the future[2][3]. The CBC structure in Kenya adopts the 2-6-6-3 approach
where students will spend 2 years in pre-primary, 6 years in primary, and 6 years in secondary school,
and those who proceed to university will spend 3 years at institutions of higher learning[2][6]. The CBC
encourages learners to understand their role as members of a larger community and to develop an
inclination to seek new information, even outside the confines of the school system[3]. The
implementation of the CBC in Kenya was prompted by a variety of factors aimed at transforming the
country's education system[3][4]. The conventional rote-learning method was deemed inadequate in
preparing learners for the modern world[3]. The CBC has been received with mixed reactions from
various quarters, but it is influenced by both national needs and international trends[2]. Makini School
has emerged as a pioneer in the adoption and execution of the CBC in Kenya.Based Curriculum (CBC) An
in depth understanding of the basic structure of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is very
important to critically analyze the challenges facing the CBC in Kenya. The study of Komba & Mwandanji
(2015) explains that Competency Based Curriculum is where learners are allowed to demonstrate their
abilities on how to apply knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values so as to solve their daily problems as
they progress through formal education. The structure of CBC is divided into Early years of education,
Middle school education, and Senior school education. The CBC has adopted the 2-6-6-3 (2 years in
Pre-Primary education, 6 years in primary education, 6 years in secondary education, and at least 3
years for University education) system of education as opposed to the previous system of 8-4-4. It is
critical to note that learners are given more years at the secondary level to explore their ambitions,
talents, and interests by venturing into subjects that they might have intrinsic motivation to pursue and
construct their career pathways. The subject teachers are supposed to integrate technology across
all the disciplines in the teaching and learning process to ensure that learners have acquired
technological skills that would help them solve problems in the technological world today. Feruzi & Yang
(2019) argue that the CBC will enable learners to grow mental ability to handle issues and problems that
cultivate capabilities of learners founded on their desires and gifts. In addition, CBC emphasizes the use
of Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) over one-time examinations like the KCSE and KCPE in the
previous 8-4-4 system of education. The CBC curriculum has incorporated the needs of special needs
children that integrate ICT at all levels of education. The learning areas of the CBC curriculum at the
lower primary include Kiswahili, English, literacy, Mother tongue, Science, Social studies, and Agricultural
activities. The learning areas for the upper primary are Kiswahili, English, Mathematics, Home Science,
Agriculture, Science and Technology, Creative Arts (art, craft, and music), Moral and Life Skills, and
Physical and Health Education. The junior secondary learning areas are Mathematics, Kiswahili,
English, Life skills, Health education, social studies, Integrated Science, Business studies, religious
education, Agriculture, Life skills, Sports, and physical education. The learerns
at this level are required to take a minimum of one and a maximum of two optional subjects that suit
their career choices, personalities, abilities, and interests. The CBC education at senior secondary
would include Arts and sports science, social sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics. At the end of senior secondary education level, learners would transit to either University
or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
