Kenya Opens Secondary School Selection Portal for Grades 9 and 10
Nairobi, 7 September 2026
Kenya has launched its free school selection portal for Grades 9 and 10, giving families just five days to secure critical secondary pathways under the new curriculum.
Strict Timelines for the Selection Process
The Ministry of Education has established a tight timeline for families to complete this vital educational milestone. The Grade 9 school selection system officially opened at midnight on Sunday, 6 September 2026, with the registration exercise commencing on Monday, 7 September 2026 [1]. Parents and guardians have a window of exactly 5 days to submit their choices before the portal closes on Friday, 11 September 2026 [1]. Meanwhile, the selection process for Grade 10, which is designed to facilitate the transition to senior school in 2027, has been open since 24 August 2026 and shares the same final deadline of 11 September 2026 [2]. Because the placement process will begin immediately after this date, no late submissions will be accommodated [2].
How to Access the Portal and Selection Requirements
To ensure broad accessibility, the Ministry of Education has designed a system that allows the public to access the portal to search for schools and available subjects without requiring specific login credentials [1]. However, actual learner selections must be submitted by schools, which are required to handle student login credentials with strict confidentiality [1]. Parents are highly encouraged to use the provided ‘pathways checker’ tool on the platform to filter and select schools efficiently [1]. For Grade 9 learners, the selection process requires choosing eight preferred schools and selecting between one and two sets of subject combinations to align with their educational interests [1].
Correcting Errors and Administrative Responsibilities
Heads of Institutions (HOIs) hold primary responsibility for managing the administrative accuracy of the submissions. Junior schools are authorised to correct learner gender errors in direct coordination with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) [1]. In cases where multiple identification numbers exist for a single learner, schools must ensure they use the active assessment number [1]. Once the selection is complete, HOIs are mandated to print the learner profiles, secure physical signatures from parents or guardians, and retain these documents [1]. Additionally, schools must actively track absent learners to prevent their exclusion and formally notify the Sub-County Director of Education (SCDE) in writing regarding any deceased learners [1].
Understanding Senior School Pathways and Technical Transitions
Under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework, secondary education is structured around three distinct pathways: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science [2]. Parents must use the official portal to verify which specific pathways—such as business, creative arts, sports, languages, or humanities—are offered by their chosen schools, and they must download a confirmation slip once the submission is complete [2]. The Ministry of Education has clarified that choosing specific subjects, such as Aviation, does not strictly limit future career choices, as the placement framework is designed to focus on broader pathways [1]. This transition is occurring alongside a system migration from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) to the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), which has caused some technical challenges regarding the visibility of certain institutions and subject combinations [2]. Crucially, the entire selection service is completely free, and the government has strictly prohibited schools from charging any fees or levies to complete or secure placements [1][2].