Government to Integrate Learner Data with Maisha Namba in New Education Plan

Kenya is poised to revolutionise its education data management with the launch of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) on July 1, 2025, Principal Secretary for Education Julius Bitok has announced. 

Learner enrollment is scheduled to commence on July 15, marking a significant step in the nation’s digital transformation agenda. KEMIS is designed to supersede the existing National Education Management System (NEMIS), addressing the operational challenges that have plagued the latter since its inception in 2018.

The introduction of KEMIS aims to streamline education data management by integrating learner information with the Maisha Namba initiative, a national digital identification system. 

This integration is expected to enhance data accuracy, accessibility, and overall efficiency across all levels of education, from early childhood centres to postgraduate institutions. Unlike NEMIS, which primarily focused on basic education and was hindered by inconsistencies and inefficiencies, KEMIS will offer a comprehensive platform consolidating records across all educational tiers. A key feature of the new system is its connection with Maisha Namba, which assigns a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) to every newborn. 

This UPI will serve as a lifelong identifier, linking educational records from early childhood to higher learning, and eventually to the processing of death certificates.

NEMIS was initially conceived to modernise data management within Kenya’s education sector, with the goals of improving resource distribution, tracking enrollment, and enhancing decision-making. However, its implementation faced significant hurdles. Data inconsistencies, duplication of identities, and mismatched records impeded the system's functionality, creating obstacles for students and institutions relying on government support. 

Schools also encountered difficulties in accurately aligning student progress with the competency-based curriculum (CBC), further complicating the system's effectiveness. Insufficient training for school administrators led to confusion, resistance, and errors in record-keeping. Fraudulent activities, such as artificially inflated enrollment numbers, undermined the system's reliability for accurate educational assessments. The transition to KEMIS is intended to rectify these issues, providing a more efficient and user-friendly experience for all stakeholders.

KEMIS will feature a mobile application designed to provide real-time data access to learners, parents, education officials, and other stakeholders. Parents can retrieve their children's academic records by entering their identification numbers into the app, eliminating the need for physical visits to schools or education offices. The app is intended to foster engagement between educators, students, and parents. Support will be available for those unfamiliar with digital platforms to ease the transition and ensure inclusivity.

County and sub-county education officers will be integrated into KEMIS to ensure efficient oversight of institutions at all levels. Each user, including students, teachers, administrators, and parents, will be registered in the database with their personal details and photographs, creating a unified digital ecosystem.

Julius Melly, chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Education, underscored the importance of accurate data in budgetary decision-making, noting that KEMIS will empower policymakers with reliable insights into resource allocation. 

The platform will build upon existing frameworks rather than replacing them outright. NEMIS will remain operational for a year after KEMIS launches to ensure a smooth transition. During this period, both systems will run concurrently to minimise disruption. Bitok acknowledges concerns about the transition but reassured stakeholders that the shift is a necessary progression toward efficiency and transparency. 

Kenya aims to enhance accountability, streamline administrative processes, and improve outcomes for students and institutions by consolidating educational data into a single, accessible platform.