Former Education and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has pushed back against claims by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale that he was responsible for the challenges surrounding the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
During an interview on Wednesday, January 28, Duale attributed the problems associated with the CBC to Matiang’i’s tenure at the Ministry of Education, while crediting the current administration with resolving the issues.
In response, Matiang’i dismissed the accusations, arguing that Duale had misrepresented both the development of the CBC and the root causes of the challenges facing the education sector.
Former CS Matiang’i Pushes Back Against Duale’s CBC Claims. Photo: Courtesy.
In a statement issued on Friday, January 30, he blamed poor leadership and mismanagement under the current government, maintaining that the curriculum was being unfairly scapegoated for broader administrative shortcomings.
Matiang’i further pointed to the handling of the 100 per cent transition policy as evidence of what he termed systemic failure.
The former CS argued that the challenges currently facing the education sector would have persisted regardless of the curriculum in place, maintaining that incompetence, rather than policy design, lies at the core of the crisis.
He also pointed to criticism from within government ranks, noting that lawmakers aligned to the ruling coalition have publicly raised concerns about leadership and management at the Ministry of Education.
While defending the Competency Based Curriculum, Matiang’i linked its implementation problems to what he described as chaotic administration and poor leadership.
He further suggested that meaningful reform in the education sector would require political change, hinting that the 2027 elections could provide an opportunity to address the issues.
