Matiang’i Hits Back at Duale, Explains What’s Really Wrong With CBC

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiangi has rejected claims by Health CS Aden Duale that the ongoing challenges in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) are his responsibility.

In a statement dated Friday, January 30, 2026, Matiangi said the current challenges, including the failure of many students to report to Grade 10 and the low enrolment in some secondary schools, are the result of mismanagement by the current administration under President William Ruto, where the Health CS serves, not the curriculum itself.

“Speaking during an interview on Wednesday night, Aden Duale claimed that the CBC was my mess, one that the current administration is allegedly trying to fix,” Matiangi said.

He added that the real mess which is being witnessed currently is not the curriculum, but what he described as “gross incompetence” with which the administration has managed the education sector.

Matiangi Denies Involvement in Ongoing Challenges Facing CBC

The former Interior CS stated that at the time he served as Education CS in the fourth President’s administration. Even the flagship 100% transition, a milestone achieved through deliberate planning and system reforms, has been mishandled by President Ruto’s regime and undermined under their watch.

Matiangi said that regardless of whether the current administration inherited CBC, 8-4-4, or 7-6-3, the results would have been the same, blaming mismanagement for the ongoing challenges in the education sector.

Also Read: Crisis in Grade 10 Transition as MPs Slam CS Ogamba Over Gaps

The former CS also cited Members of Parliament aligned to the government, who have publicly criticised senior officials at the Ministry of Education for prioritising personal interests over the management of the sector.

To support his statement, Matiangi shared a video in which National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah criticised Basic Education PS Julius Bitok for the ongoing challenges in the CBC curriculum.

He described PS Bitok as “the most clueless PS in the Ministry of Education”. Ichung’wah accused him of being out of touch with on-the-ground realities in schools.

Former CS Argues CBC Curriculum is Not the Problem

Matiangi argued that the CBC curriculum is not the problem; rather, the challenges stem from chaotic and ineffective management of the education sector.

He added that poor implementation of the curriculum is the main issue, but expressed confidence that future leadership could restore professionalism and results-driven management.

Also Read: Principals Directed to Admit Grade 10 Learners Without Fees and Uniforms

Matiang’s response comes amid concerns over challenges in the education sector, including the transition to Grade 10 (under the Competency-Based Curriculum), school infrastructure disparities, including uneven teacher distribution, school fees, uniforms, and overall crisis management in schools.

In an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Duale stated that Matiang’i was the brainchild of the CBC during his time as Education CS. He accused Matiang’i of messing it up, saying the current government under President Ruto is now fixing those issues, and that the system is working better.

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