The education sector will witness radical changes after the Cabinet approved the merger of several Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) under the Ministry of Education (MoE) to avoid duplication of duties within the government.
In a notice dated February 5, 2025, from Principal Secretary Dr. George Kubai addressed to the 42 state corporations, the government requested that the ministry officials nominate senior officers from the affected departments to join the Multi-Agency Technical Committees implementing the reforms.
The committee, tasked with overseeing the merger, will convene at the Kenya School of Government at Lower Kabete to start the implementation process.
As reported earlier by Education News cabinet approved reforms in the education sector will affect state corporations under MoE with duplicating, overlapping, or related mandates. These changes follow the Cabinet meeting that took place recently at Kakamega’s State Lodge. The reform will affect some 42 state corporations in all ministries.
For instance, the Universities Fund and Higher Loans Boards (HELB) will be merged. The merger will also affect the Commission for University Education (CUE), Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA), and Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), which will also be merged.
Furthermore, the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) will be among the nine State Corporations dissolved, and their mandates will be transferred to the MoE or Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Reforms will be undertaken at the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, the Engineers Board of Kenya, and the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, among others.
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The notice also requires CEOs of state corporations identified under the Ministry of Agriculture to attend the multi-agency technical committees accompanied by the head of human resources, finance, legal, technical, and any other relevant officer.
The CEOs must submit the staff organizational structure, approved staff establishment, and current post by grade.
They are also required to provide a list of assets they own, the enabling legislation that established the entities, including any identified legal gaps or duplications, and confirmation that all existing contracts with the entity can be reassigned.
The ministry’s state departments were also required to suspend new recruitment, hold off on implementing any approved new organizational structure, and not commence implementing new projects.
The government assured staff in affected departments that no jobs would be lost following the Cabinet’s decision to merge 42 state corporations into 20 entities as part of fiscal consolidation efforts.
President William Ruto had said the merging would eliminate inefficiencies, improve service delivery, and ease the financial burden.
By Obegi Malack
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