This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.

UNESCO Student Mobility Number: 
Kenya has 14,012 students studying abroad.

CIA World Factbook – Percent of population under 24 years of age:
58.64% of the population is under 24 years old.
 
Overview
Education has continued to play a pivotal in the country’s development, with its demand increasing by the day.  Due to the importance of education in the country, the Government spends 20 per cent of the National Budget on Education.  In a televised address to the Nation the Precedent Uhuru Kenyatta recently declared that the Government would set aside about 30% of the National Budget for education, arguably the highest budgetary allocation for education in Africa. After several education commissions and conferences over the years, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has identifiedBoth local and foreign investors are setting up educational institutions, including those offering British, American and other curriculum.  The government has prioritized the expansion of public secondary schools and also identified centers of academic excellence in every county. Hence, funds are being channeled to existing public high schools for expansion rather than initiating fresh learning institutions. Consequently, schools that hitherto had three or so streams are now being expanded to have extra streams and dormitories to accommodate more learners and meet the high demand for secondary education.The Government however lacks the financial capacity and technical expertise to implement all the above initiatives. Hence, aid agencies like UNICEF, USAID, World Vision, JICA, among others, have contributed significantly to the expansion and development of education in the country, especially in public institutions.
 
Sub-Sectors
Higher Education (include statistics from 2018 Open Doors Report in this section – (i.e. how many students studying in the U.S., courses of study, graduate or undergraduate, increase or decrease from previous year, etc.) 3322 
Undergraduate 1931

Community College 55
 
Graduate Education    922  

Secondary Education
Demand for secondary education 
The education sector has grown considerably over the years. There is an increased number of public and private schools that offer the British, North American and Kenyan (8.4.4) curricular. In addition, there is a German, a Swedish and A French school. A couple of schools also offer the International baccalaureate curriculum. Some of the newly constructed schools include Brookhouse Schools (Runda Campus), GEMS Nairobi International School (Runda), Crawford School and Sabis International School, Woodcreek School; and Nova Academies. 

While most international schools in Kenya are based in Nairobi, new ones are emerging that are indigenously owned and are located in the outskirts of Nairobi. The increment of the number of international schools is pointer to the rising demand for an international education. Nairobi has become a hub of international trade, diplomatic missions and international non-governmental organizations. Consequently, there are more foreign investors, diplomats and expatriates living in the country, hence the need for international education for their children and other dependents. Besides, Kenya has some of the most qualified and competent teachers and strongest educational systems or learning institutions in the region. There is also an emerging middle class who are inclined to have the very best education for their children. The practice has traditionally been that those who pursue British, US, IB and other international education systems in Kenya largely end up pursuing higher education abroad (mostly in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU Region). However, students are now getting more and more interested in study destinations where they can acquire post-study visas. The US reportedly gives post-study visas to those taking STEM courses while Canada is more liberal, hence the high interest in Canadian institutions.

It is worth noting that the demand for US and other foreign education is not a preserve of international school system. There are thousands of affluent parents whose children or wards are learning in public schools but still opt to pursue undergraduate studies abroad.  Other students whose parents may not be so affluent still seek education abroad on scholarship and other sources of funding.

There are over 25,000 public primary schools in Kenya with an enrolment of about 9.5 million learners as at 2011 and over 600 private schools. Primary school completion rate stands at about 76.8% while transition rate from primary to secondary stood at 73.5% by 2011. The last decade seen a significant increase in the demand for secondary education. The existing secondary school places cannot adequately meet the demand for secondary education, thus some learners are forced to join technical and vocational training institutions or drop out of school altogether.

Online Programs
E-learning is a new development in the country, though the level of usage does not cover all levels of education. Most universities have adopted E-learning as an alternative to face-to-face lectures.  Secondary schools, especially private schools, are in the process of implementing online learning to complement classroom interaction.  However, there are still glaring challenges in implementing this mode of learning since there is lack of qualified personnel to run online pedagogy, not to mention the high cost of installing computer software and hardware. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is currently running pilot training program in selected counties to build the capacity of teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the country, with the aim of implementing an E-learning system as recommended by the new curriculum. However, progress in this sector is still very slow and hit by such hitches as lack of funding, bureaucratic red tape and shortage of technical expertise. 

Some private schools have, however, managed to implement E-learning programs, though not fully, using such platforms as Google Classroom and Edmodo.  At the same time, several universities, both public and private, have introduced E-learning programs for selected faculties, especially in the liberal arts. E-learning programs are prevalent at Daystar University, Kenyatta University, Nazarene University, among others. The universities largely use blended learning, which is a breed between online learning and on-site teaching-with the bulk of the lectures delivered online.

Even though internet penetration in Kenya is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, E-learning has not grown so much for the reasons stated above. However, there is a possibility of fast growth in this area since an increasing number of Kenyans are computer literate, especially those living in urban areas.

Research and Development
There are concerted efforts by various stakeholders in education-both private and public-to improve education in the country.  The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is the public-funded curriculum developer in Kenya and it works with other educational parastatals under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and non-governmental organizations to review and develop the national curriculum, provide teaching/learning materials, build the capacity of teachers and develop infrastructure. The Kenya Examinations Council (KNEC) is the main public-funded examining body for middle-level colleges, secondary and primary schools as well as some foreign examining bodies that use it as an agent to supervise international examinations that are administered locally.

Apart from the parastatals affiliated to the Ministry of Education such as KICD and Kenya Institute of Government (KIG), most education research is done by universities. In addition, there is Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), whose mandate is to promote access, retention and improving the quality of education for girls. There is also the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), the umbrella body for private schools in the country.  The number of schools registered with KPSA across the board is as follows: 257(kindergarten); 7398(primary); and 1617(secondary).KPSA collaborates with non-governmental organizations and the Government to sustainably coordinate, mobilize and regulate all private institutions of learning in a bid to provide holistic and relevant quality education for all in line with Kenya’s Vision 20130 economic blueprint. In addition, the government collaborates with various agencies and diplomatic missions to help in the development of education in Kenya. Some of the said agencies include UNESCO, DfID, British Council, UNICEF, USAID, JICA, among others. The latter agencies have been instrumental in funding the free and universal education program at basic education level (from kindergarten to secondary school) among other development projects across the education spectrum, but largely targeting basic education.
In addition, Education USA Advising Center based at the United States Embassy in Nairobi, provides updated and non-partisan information on US higher education to the public and continues to guide qualified students through the application process. The services provided by the center range from application to pre-departure.

American organizations like International Universities Alliance (IAU) and Shorelight partner with US universities and local recruitment agencies to expedite the application process and build the capacity of careers counselors, especially those in international schools. The IUA builds meaningful connections and opportunities to provide access for international students across the world to a first-rate academic education and the skills to compete in a global environment.

The IUA,Navitas,Kaplan and INTO are collaborating with government sponsors and other funding institutions worldwide to build a placement and retention ecosystem to help increase student mobility and access to prestigious degree programs in the U.S. These organizations are already working with institutions and university placement agencies in Kenya and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Professional Training Services
 Professional training  services are offered in the educational sub-sector in several form: insets, seminars, short courses and longer courses ranging from one-year  certificate courses, two-year diplomas up to graduate and postgraduate courses lasting four or three and two years, respectively. Local universities have initiated market-driven courses commonly known as Module II or parallel programs, which are mainly self-sponsored by the learners from various sectors of the economy.

Various government departments have their own organizations within the parent ministry or state department that offers professional training services. In addition, there are private institutions such as Kenya Institute of management (KIM) which provide professional training services at a fee. For instance, teachers of students with special needs are trained by the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE); while head teachers and those in other management positions get professional training through Kenya Education Staff Training Institute (KESI).  Individual schools also organize their own insets/workshops internally with experienced members of staff, departmental heads or hired consultants as facilitators. 

Opportunities
Given the visa issuance constraints described above and the high cost of US education (an average Kenyan will hardly pay tuition fee of $10,000 annually), online learning is a better and more affordable alternative to learning on-location in the United States.

The latest report on International Education Exchange produced by the Institute of International Education (IIE), released in November 13, 2018, in partnership with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State, reveals that there are 1,094,792 enrolled in US learning institutions in the 2017/2018 academic year, an increase of 1.5%. Between 2000 and 4000 Kenyan students enroll in US institutions annually (Open Doors Report, 2018). However, the Fall Snapshot Survey conducted by 10 Higher Education partners unearthed the following scenario: overall enrollment in US institutions remains flat, with a 2% decline in new enrollment; new enrollment declines vary among institutional characteristics and location; while institutions are responding to current landscape through outreach, recruitment and advocacy. The Open Doors Report 2018  further outlines what attracts international students to the US learning institutions: high quality academic experiences; personal and professional growth, including close interaction with professors conducting cutting-edge science, research and innovation; affordability; post-study opportunities; and skilled migration policies.

There is a huge demand for study opportunities abroad in general. While in the recent past the focus has been on UK education, attention is now quickly shifting to North American destinations of USA and Canada for higher education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  US education is valued for its quality programs, fast completion rates and the massive high-caliber training infrastructure that makes learning enjoyable and easy. However, not many applicants to US universities are able to meet the requite study visa conditions. The main reason for visa denials or obstacle to pursuing US education has perennially been that the affected applicants are not able to produce evidence of social and economic ties with their home country, thus they are basically labeled as economic immigrants. Indeed, for these very economic reasons, majority of Kenyans who manage to go to study in the US attempt to change their status for one reason or the other, while others simply vanish after or even before completing their studies. It is instructive that international students make up 5.5% of all students in US higher education, with California, New York, Texas and Massachusetts as the most popular destinations (Open Doors Report, 2018). The total revenue pumped into the US economy amounts to 42 billion US dollars.

 The Open Doors Report 2018 further reveals that Engineering, Business and Management, Math and Computer Science are the top fields of study among international students in the US, with 21% of them majoring in Engineering. The distribution of the disciplines that international students are currently pursuing in the US is as follows: Engineering(21.3%); math and Computer Science(17.0%); other STEM courses(11.5%); Business management(17.9%);Social Sciences(7.6%); Fine and Applied Art(5.8%); Intensive English(2.4%); undeclared and other courses(16.5%).

Events
Major Education Fairs, etc.
EDUCANADA FAIR - 18 & 19 January 2019 – Nairobi 
AUSTRALIA EDUCATION FAIR 
UK UNIVERSITIES FAIR - 18 & 19 January 2019 - Nairobi
CIS TOUR – 3 -13 April 2019 – Nairobi & Mombasa 
BRITISH COUNCIL FAIR 
BROOKHOUSE GRADUATES FAIR 
UNIABROAD SCHOOLS TOUR
EXPRESS COMMUNICATION: Nairobi International Education & Career Fairs

Resources
There are a number of organizations that provide in-country support for the education sub-sector in Kenya. The said organization work closely with county governments, community-based organizations, as well as the Central Government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The names and URLS of organizations providing in-country support include, but are not limited, to the following:

United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO)
https://en.unesco.org/countries/kenya

CIA World Factbook 
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html

Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) https://www.kise.ac.ke/

DFID-Kenya/British High Commission https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/dfid-kenya

US Agency for International Development (USAID) https://www.usaid.gov/kenya

World Vision International (WVI) https://www.wvi.org/kenya

Federation of African Women Educationalists (FAWE) http://fawe.org/home/

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) https://www.unicef.org/kenya/

Commission for University Education (CUE) http://www.cue.or.ke/
    
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) https://www.ilri.org/kenya

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) https://www.kemri.org/

Education USA Nairobi/US Embassy in Kenya https://ke.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educationusa/

British Council Nairobi https://www.britishcouncil.co.ke/

Kenya National Commission for UNESCO https://unesco.go.ke/

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) https://kicd.ac.ke/

Kenya education Staff Institute (KESI)
http://www.scac.go.ke/2015-02-16-09-44-25/training-and-research/79-kenya-education-staff-institute

Kenya Education Management Institute (KMI) http://kemi.ac.ke/

Kenya School of Government (KSG) http://www.ksg.ac.ke/

Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) https://kpsa.co.ke

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) https://www.jica.go.jp/kenya/english/

U.S. Commercial Service Contact
Janet Mwangi 
Commercial Specialist 
janet.mwangi@trade.gov
+2542 0363 6725
 

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