KEMIS to Replace NEMIS: Education Ministry Rolls Out KEMIS for Real-Time Student Data.
A multi-agency team was introduced today with the mandate of unifying existing registers for all students—from early childhood education through to the university level—into one comprehensive database.
This new system, Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), is designed to replace the current NEMIS, which has faced criticism for its inefficiencies. The project brings together state agencies, led by the Ministry of Education, alongside development partners, technology providers, and various stakeholders.
The Basic Education Principal Secretary, Prof. Julius Bitok, noted that the piloting phase of KEMIS is scheduled to commence in July, with a complete transition planned for September. He explained that the integrated database will serve as a cornerstone for informed education planning and resource allocation.
Stakeholders, including parents, will also have access to the system through a mobile application, which is expected to advance data-driven decision-making in education planning and service delivery across the country. Prof. Bitok further detailed that KEMIS is set to eliminate opportunities for manipulating capitation funds by preventing the registration of non-existent schools and artificially inflating student populations.
The new system is designed to amalgamate data from diverse education levels—ranging from Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and basic education to TIVETS and higher education institutions—thereby ensuring improved accuracy, transparency, and accessibility.
According to the Principal Secretary, this consolidation will provide the government with reliable statistics necessary for the distribution of teachers, capitation funds, textbooks, and other educational resources.
Furthermore, KEMIS aims to address long-standing issues associated with the segregation of registration databases and will also cater to emerging concerns such as data security, privacy, and real-time access for monitoring, evaluation, and analytical purposes.
Integration with National Registration Systems
Dr. Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, indicated that KEMIS would be integrated with the births and deaths register managed by the Civil Registration Services and the National Registration Bureau. He explained that this integration would allow for the assignment of a unique personal number to every student.
Under the Maisha ecosystem, every newborn will receive a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI), which will subsequently serve as the death certificate number in the event of a demise, thereby ensuring accurate data management during inevitable demographic transitions.
Members of Parliament, led by Education Committee Chairman Julius Melly, emphasized that KEMIS would be instrumental in guiding future budget estimates, with the assurance that accurate data facilitates well-informed budget allocations.
They expressed strong support for the Ministry’s legislative agenda to secure legal backing for this transformative system. The unveiling of this 15-member team took place amid significant parliamentary uproar following the National Treasury’s recent drastic cuts to the Education budget, which resulted in zero allocations for both national examinations and the KEMIS project.
Notable parliamentarians, including MPs from Tinderet, Teso South, Moiben, and Baringo North, attended the launch.
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Also in attendance was ICT Principal Secretary Eng. John Tanui, whose department is anticipated to contribute significantly to the project through collaboration with the Konza Technopolis Development Authority. Representatives from the teachers’ union, led by KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu, were present to provide additional support.
The collaborative efforts of this diverse team are expected to underpin a robust and streamlined system that benefits the entire education sector in Kenya.
KEMIS to Replace NEMIS: Education Ministry Rolls Out KEMIS for Real-Time Student Data.
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