The Ministry of Education has unveiled plans to roll out a new digital platform, the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), to modernize and streamline student data collection across all levels of education. The system is set to replace the current National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which officials say has become outdated and inefficient.

Speaking on Thursday, May 15, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that KEMIS will go live in July 2025, and will serve as a comprehensive, unified platform to manage data for learners, teachers, and institutions—from Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), to universities and research centers.

“This is a golden opportunity to unify our education data systems,” Bitok said. “KEMIS will enable real-time data integration, eliminate duplications, and allow for seamless tracking of learners throughout their academic journey.”

The new system is expected to address major shortcomings in NEMIS, which was introduced in 2017 but has faced criticism from users, particularly school heads, over its failure to capture some students and support data-driven decision-making.

Julius Kibiwott Melly, chairperson of the Parliamentary Education Committee, echoed these concerns: “We’ve heard numerous complaints from headteachers and administrators that students are not being fully captured in NEMIS. There have been similar issues in polytechnics and universities, especially regarding the new funding model.”

Melly said the committee is committed to supporting the ministry’s transition to KEMIS, calling it a critical step toward ensuring reliable, centralized education data for planning and policy.

KEMIS is designed to enhance transparency, improve data security, and provide easier access to critical information for education administrators, policymakers, and parents. It aligns with the government’s broader goals of digitization, improved service delivery, and economic transformation.

The Ministry hopes that with KEMIS, education data management in Kenya will become more efficient, accurate, and responsive to the dynamic needs of the country’s learning ecosystem.