By Anderson Ojwang
With only two years to the next general elections, the race for numbers is shifting to secondary schools where the government has directed for school-based issuance of national identity card.
Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley enjoy the majority of students in secondary schools, while lower Eastern counties will also carry huge chunk of the new voters going by the high student population.
The vote rich Mt Kenya is witnessing a downward spiral in the number of students in the secondary schools while Northeastern and Coast have maintained the low percentage.
A circular from Principal Secretary, ministry of education, state department for basic education, Amb. Prof Julius K. Bitok, wrote and captioned “facilitation of school-based ID registration exercise second term, 2023.
The State department for immigration and citizen services, through the national registration bureau (NRB), intends to undertake a mobile national ID registration drive targeting eligible students in secondary schools during the current (second) school term (May-August 2025).
This initiative is designed to ensure that Kenyan students who have attained the age if 18 are registered for national identity cards while still in school, enabling them to access tertiary education placement, job opportunities and financial aid such as HELB loans without delay upon completion of secondary education.
You are therefore, requested to urgently notify all secondary school principals within your jurisdiction to collaborate with county and deputy county registration officers for the successful implementation of the exercise in their schools.
Please, also inform the principals that for the purposes of this exercise, they or their deputies will serve as identification agents for the students in place of National Government Administration officers (NGAO).
Your immediate action in this matter will be appreciated” wrote Bitok in a memo to all Regional Directors of Education and all County Directors of Education.
In 2023, Kenya had approximately 13.2 million students enrolled in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools.
Specifically, there were 2.9 million in pre-primary, 10.2 million in primary and 4.1 million in secondary schools.
In 2023 Bungoma and Kakamega had the highest number if students enrolled at 203,195 and 199,124 respectively.
Nakuru had 195,393, Kiambu 147,033, Machakos 143,550, homa bay 143,550. Muranga, 135,093Meru 134,402, Siaya 130,784, Makueni 130,305 and Nairobi 125,566.
Others Kisumu 123,499, Kisii 123449, Kitui 120,489, Kericho 114,816 , Nandi 108,830 , Trans Nzoia 108,415, Bomet 107,935 , Kilifi 98,696 , Busia 88,549, Uasin Gishu 84,969 , Nyamira 84,749, Vihiga 83,256, Nyeri 80,536, Narok 79,809 , Nyandarua 66,872 , Baringo 65,665, Kirinyaga 63,145, Embu 62,930 , Elgeyo Marakwet 59,219, Kajiado 59,102 , Tharaka Nthi 58,533, Kwale 55,779, West Pokot 50,020, Laikipia 45,397, Mombasa 43,902, Taita Taveta 33,032, Wajir 28,734, Mandera 27,734 , Turkana 27,430, Garissa 23,970, Marsabit 13,531, Samburu 12,823, tana river12,009 , Isiolo 10,444 and Lamu 1,033.
There are 10,752 secondary schools in the country and according to data from the commission of Revenue Allocation list Kitui as the county with the highest number of public school with 443 and 12 private schools followed by Kakamega with 425 and 28 private schools, Makueni with 390 and 17 private schools, Meru with 388, and 22 private schools, Machakos with 368, and 83 private schools, Bungoma 367, and 29 private schools, Nakuru with 360,and 149 private schools, Kisii, 359, and 20 private schools,, Homa Bay with 329, and 23 private schools, and Muranga with 313, and 33 private schools.
Others are Migori with 283, and private schools, Nairobi with 101,and private schools, Bomet with 286,and private schools, Trans Nzoia with 240, and private schools, Kericho with 241, Kisumu with 230, and 20 private schools, Nandi with 239,and 9 private schools, Siaya with 242,and 11 private schools, Nyeri with 221,and 17 private schools, Uasin Gishu 194,and 40 private schools, Embu with 196,and 13 private schools, Nyandarua with 173,and 31 private schools, Kilifi with 159, and 44 private schools, Nyamira with 190,and 4 private schools, Baringo with 176,and 7 private schools, Narok with 160, and 17 private schools, Busia with 162, and 7private schools, Kirinyaga with 153, and 15 private schools, Kajiado with 92,and 73 private schools, West Pokot with 162, and 2 private schools, Vihiga with 159,and 3 private schools, Tharaka Nthi with 151, and 9 private schools, Laikipia with 120, and 20 private schools, Elgeyo Marakwet with 128, and 2 private schools.
Counties with least number of public secondary schools are Lamu at 27,and 4 private schools, Isiolo32, and 3 private schools, Tana River 33, and 2 private schools, Garisa with 35 and 33 private schools, Marsabit with 42, and 6 private schools, Samburu with 44,and 8 private schools, Mombasa with 50, and 79 private schools, Wajir with 53,and 3 private schools, Turkana, with 57,and 4 private schools, Mandera with 57, and 8 private schools, Taita Taveta with 87 and 7 private schools, and Kwale with 91.and 10 private schools.
In 2024, a total of 962,512 candidates sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations.
This represented a 7.19 percent increase compared to the 899,453 candidates who sat in 2023.
Political analyst Prof Obondi Otieno says the number of students exiting secondary schools will be a major determinant in the next general election with over 2 million expected to be issued with identity card and legible to register as voters.
“If you look at the student’s distribution per regions, Nyanza, Western, Rift Valley and Lower Eastern have the majority and this will have a catalyzing effect in the general elections.
The upward trajectory for the four regions is interesting and a possible alliance by the regions would be boosted by the new voters,” he argues.
Edited By Hope Barbra
