Kenya’s educational system has its roots in the British colonial system and initially separate schools were set up for the Europeans, Asian, African and Arab populations. This system had to change after independence in 1963 where the need was now to educate the increasing number of African people working in the industrial and commercial sectors of the economy including governmental organisations.

In modern Kenya the schools are either owned by the government, by private individuals or are run on the Harambee principle which was first introduced by the first President of Kenya Jomo Kenyatta after Independence. He encouraged wealthy people to join hands with the government and help the rural communities of Kenya by organising charity events and giving donations.

The Ministry of Education is responsible for setting up the curriculum to be taught in the educational institutions through the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE).

There is a 3 tier system of education called the 8:4:4 educational system which was started in 1985. Primary education comprises a total of 8 years and subjects taught include mathematics, English, sciences, history, geography, arts and crafts. Examinations are held by the Kenya National Examining Council (KNEC) and the Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (KCPE) is awarded at the end of the 8 years if successful. Since 2003 Primary Education has been made free and also compulsory by President Mwai Kibaki.

The secondary education lasts for a period of 4 years and additional subjects like agriculture, business, music, computer studies, art and design are also offered in addition to those offered at primary level. Kiswahili is a subject that is compulsory as it is the language spoken by most Kenyans though the English language is the language used in most schools. At the end of the 4 years the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination has to be passed.

Students can then go on to study at colleges or Polytechnics for diplomas and certificates in Higher Education. These can be in engineering, the medical field or computer sciences to name a few.

Other students go on to study at the University of Nairobi or the Kenyatta University to further their educational qualifications.

There are also some international owned private schools that offer an educational curriculum that is based on the London educational system and the USIU (United States International University) is largest private university in East Africa which offers a variety of courses for its undergraduates.