New education data system to replace NEMIS unveiled

The Ministry of Education has unveiled a new multi-agency team tasked with setting up a comprehensive national education data system to replace the current National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).

The 15-member team, led by the Ministry in partnership with various State agencies, development partners, technology providers, and other stakeholders, will spearhead the creation of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS).

Speaking during the launch, Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok announced that pilot testing of KEMIS will begin in July, with full implementation expected in September.

"KEMIS will be a game changer, it will consolidate all learner data from Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) to university into one integrated, digital platform to enhance planning, accountability, and resource distribution," Bitok explained.

KEMIS is expected to address long-standing challenges in managing fragmented educational data across various levels, including basic education, technical and vocational training (TVET), and higher education.

The new system will also centralize records for students, teachers, and institutions.

A key feature of KEMIS is a mobile application that will allow parents and other stakeholders to access student data in real-time.

The platform also seeks to curb malpractices such as the creation of ghost schools and inflated enrolment figures used to misappropriate capitation funds.

"Data-driven decision-making will now become the cornerstone of education service delivery in Kenya. With accurate, transparent data, we can make informed decisions on teacher deployment, textbook distribution, and budgeting," he added.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang highlighted that KEMIS will integrate with the Civil Registration Services and the National Registration Bureau.

This integration will assign a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) to every learner at birth, streamlining education tracking and linking it to national records such as birth and death certificates.

"This is part of the broader Maisha ecosystem. The UPI will follow a child throughout their life—from birth to education, and eventually, in the unfortunate event of death," said Dr Kipsang.

This new development comes amid criticism of deep education budget cuts by the National Treasury, which left key programs, including national exams and KEMIS itself, without funding.