Structure and Organization of the MoEST in Kenya

Structure and Organization of the MoEST in Kenya

The Kenyan government is committed to the provision of quality education and training to all its citizens scattered in various parts of the country. The education sector is tasked with the role of providing and coordinating education, research, training, formulation of policy frameworks, and ensuring its implementation for quality assurance at diverse levels of learning. The Kenyan Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology’s primary mission is to provide, promote, and coordinate lifelong education, training, and research towards facilitating the attainment of the country’s sustainable development. As such, the Kenyan Education Ministry is tasked with various roles aimed at enhancing the achievement of these ultimate goals. The most crucial function is policy formulation. The MoEST in Kenya is tasked with the formulation of national programme and policies which enhances the acquisition of quality and affordable school education regardless of the diversified social or economic status. The structure of the Kenyan Ministry of Education is divided into divisions: The State Department of Education and the State    Department of Science and Technology. The paper looks into the hierarchical structure of the Kenyan Ministry of Education towards enhancing the attainment of the set educational goals and objectives.

Hierarchy of the Kenyan Ministry of Education

Just like any other state/governmental department, the Kenyan Ministry of Education has a hierarchical order of power through which the coordination of various educational activities towards achieving the ultimate educational goals and objectives. The following analysis looks into how power is divided in the MoEST in Kenya.

1. Cabinet Secretary

The office of the Cabinet Secretary is the highest rank in Kenyan’s Ministry of Education. The office of Cabinet Secretary is a constitutional office whose major tasked with the provision of strategic leadership and policy to enhance the attainment of educational goals. It is currently held by Professor George Magoha who heads all the administrative support staff hired to facilitate the running of the education sector. He is accountable collectively and individually to the president. All the decision made by the Cabinet Sectary should be in writing.

Functions of the Cabinet Secretary

The cabinet secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of education is tasked with various roles which aim at enhancing the attainment of the set educational goals (Lillis 1985). Some of the significant functions that the Cabinet Secretary is expected to undertake include;

1. Formulation of Education Policy- Together with other assistant staff members in the ministry, the Cabinet Secretary is tasked with the role of formulating programme and policies to ensure that there is ease in achieving the set educational goals.
2. Curriculum Development- The Cabinet Secretary, together with other junior workers in the Ministry, is expected to analyze the changes in modern society and adopt a curriculum that reflects such transformations or challenges. For example, the Cabinet Secretary is expected to formulate policies to choose a curriculum that addresses the significant problems facing society, such as HIV/AIDs menace.
3. Updating the Parliament the progress in Education Sector- The Cabinet Secretary is expected to provide the Parliament with regular and full reports about the day-to-day affairs of the Ministry.
4. Supervision and Inspection of Education Institutions- The Cabinet Secretary is expected to supervise or delegate the role of managing Education Institutions to ascertain whether they are fully equipped for effective teaching. For example, the Cabinet Secretary is expected to check whether learning institutions such as Universities are fully equipped to offer Diploma and Degree programs.
5. Registration and Approval of Education and Training Institutions- The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for ensuring that there is no registration or approval of Education or Training Institutions which lack the required facilities.
6. Office of Principal Secretary

The office of the principal secretary is the second rank under the Kenyan Ministry of Education. It is divided into two, that is, The Office of Principal Secretary for Basic Education and Office of Principal Secretary for Science and Technology (Gracia, 2019). The Principal Secretary in any of the two offices acts as the authorized accounting officer for the Ministry of Education. Each of the two offices is headed by a principal secretary who plays an essential role in facilitating the attainment of educational goals. Dr Richard Belio Kipsang is the current Principal Secretary in charge of Basic Education. On the other hand, the Office of Principal Secretary for Science and Technology is headed by Dr Kevit Desai.

Functions of the Principal Secretaries

1. Tasked with the implementation of government policies and strategic plan for the education sector.
2. Act as the Chief Executive Officer for the departments they head. As such, they are mandated to sign off any significant expenditure under their docket.
3. They are tasked with and authorized to check over expenditure in state corporations which fall under their docket. As such, the Principal Secretaries are answerable to any graft queries associable with the activities of state corporations under the Ministry of Education.
4. Account for government spending on matters about the Ministry of Education.
5. Facilitating the attainment of educational goals and objectives.
6. Tasked with the formulation and implementation of an effective performance management system.
7. Promotion of the principles and values set under Articles and 232 as stipulated under the Kenyan education sector.
8. Ensuring efficient utilization of government financial, human, and other resources in the Ministry of Education.

Under the office of Principal Secretary, there is the Director-General divided into various Directories who play an essential role in facilitating the attainment of educational goals.

3. Director-General

The office of Director General is fundamental in the Ministry of Education in Kenya. It is tasked with distinct roles which ultimately translate to the attainment of the overall educational goals. The Ministry has Director Generals for Basic Education and Science and Technology. The Director-General for Science and Technology is Elyas Abdi Jilaow. The office of the Director-General was constituted during the year 2013 after the formulation of the Basic Education Act. Various directorates play an essential role in facilitating the success of the activities taking place in the ministry. Directorate of primary education, directorate of secondary and tertiary education, directorate of quality assurance, directorate of policy, partnerships, and East Africa Community Affairs, and directorate of technical knowledge are some of the significant subdivisions of director-general (Eshiwani, 2003). Besides, we have other minor directorates such as the directorate of technical accre3ediatation and quality assurance and the directorate of youth training, among others.

Functions of Director-General

1. Advices the Principal Secretary on technical matters associable with the state department of education.
2. Schools audit function
3. Oversees the implementation of ICT to enhance education projects.
4. Coordinate various projects, international commitments, and partnerships.
5. Act as the head of all education institutions and matters at the specific region.
6. Facilitates the formulation of programs and policies to facilitate the acquisition of quality and affordable education among Kenyans.
7. Guides the ministry of education on the best considerations to improve the quality of education given to Kenyans.
8. Advices the ministry of education on the financial implications of various transformations adopted by the sector. For example, the board of directors advice the department on the financial impact of implementing a new curriculum.
9. Analyzes and give reports to the minister and other senior workers in the ministry concerning the impacts of policy changes.
10. County Directors

County directors play an essential role in facilitating the acquisition of education goals at the county level. Kenya has 47 counties, and the appointment of county directors aims at ensuring that there is a smooth flow of various educational endeavours right from the county to the national level. Some of the roles of county directors of education include;

1. Policy implementation by ensuring that all policies and programs about education are preserved. Besides, they overlook the formulation and implementation of other matters related to education.
2. Consult with other junior employees at the county level to advice the cabinet secretary of various education matters.
3. Ensure that quality standards of education at the county level are upheld as stipulated by the Ministry of Education.
4. Monitoring and managing Free Primary Education and Subsidized Secondary Education.
5. Financial auditing at the county levels to ensure that government resources are utilized appropriately as stipulated.

Conclusion

In summary, the paper looks into the Kenyan Ministry of Education and some of the significant players who contribute towards the attainment of the set educational goals. The ministry of education is divided into various branches which contribute towards the achievement of the overall goals set by the education sector. The office of the cabinet secretary is the senior-most and is headed by Professor George Magoha. He is in charge of diverse education affairs and influences all the activities taking place in the ministry. The second in the hierarchy is the office of principal secretary. The directorates of education and county director form the third and fourth ranks in the hierarchy, respectively.

References

Eshiwani, G. S. (2003). Implementing Educational Policies in Kenya. World Bank Discussion Papers No. 85. Africa Technical Department Series.

Gracia, Z. (2019). The organizational structure of the Ministry of Education in Kenya. Retrieved 9 December 2019, from https://www.tuko.co.ke/287702-organizational-structure-ministry-education-kenya.html

Lillis, K. M. (1985). Processes of secondary curriculum innovation in Kenya. Comparative Education Review, 29(1), 80-96.