Quick Answer
Most of education is a national function — policy, curriculum, examinations, teachers and universities — while county governments are responsible for pre-primary education (ECDE) and village polytechnics.
Key facts
- The national government runs most of education.
- Counties run pre-primary (ECDE) and village polytechnics.
- The TSC employs and manages teachers.
- KICD sets the curriculum and KNEC runs exams.
What the national government does
The national level owns the policy and standards of education:
- Curriculum — developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD);
- Examinations — run by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC);
- Teachers — employed and managed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC);
- Universities and tertiary education and their funding.
What counties do
Under devolution, counties handle early childhood (ECDE / pre-primary) education and village polytechnics — the foundational and vocational layers closest to communities.
The TSC and other bodies
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is a constitutional commission that registers, employs, deploys and disciplines teachers — which is why teacher hiring and strikes are national, not county, matters.
Why this matters to you
When a school issue arises — a missing teacher, a curriculum question, an ECDE centre — knowing whether it is national (TSC, KNEC, KICD) or county (ECDE) tells you exactly where to take it.
Frequently asked questions
Who employs teachers in Kenya?
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC), a national constitutional commission.
Who runs pre-primary education?
County governments (ECDE).
Who sets the curriculum and exams?
KICD sets the curriculum; KNEC runs the exams.
Sources & references
- Constitution of Kenya 2010, Fourth Schedule and Article 237 (TSC) — klrc.go.ke
- Teachers Service Commission — tsc.go.ke