NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13 — The Ministry of Education has unveiled a new digital system dubbed the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) to replace the current National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), promising improved accuracy, accountability, and real-time access to student data across all learning levels.
The upgraded platform will allow parents, teachers, and education officials to track learners’ academic progress, funding, and enrollment status — from nursery school to university — through a new app called Elimu App, expected to roll out by July 1, 2025.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok said the system, developed in partnership with Konza Technopolis, marks a shift from the outdated NEMIS 3.0 platform to a new 4.0 model capable of integrating data across early childhood centres, TVETs, primary and secondary schools, and universities.
“Parents will now download their child’s report cards through their phones — just like M-PESA,” said Bitok. “KEMIS will ensure real-time visibility of learner information, resource distribution, and policy planning.”
The system upgrade comes after persistent complaints from school heads and administrators over NEMIS’s inefficiencies, particularly in accurately capturing student enrollment data for government capitation and exam registration.
Stakeholder Endorsement
The rollout has received strong backing from education unions and parliamentary leaders. KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu described KEMIS as a “new dawn,” saying it would solve persistent funding gaps caused by inaccurate data under the previous system.
KEPSHA Chairman Faud Ali added that school heads had “long suffered” under NEMIS but were now optimistic that KEMIS would simplify school management through reliable data integration.
National Assembly Education Committee Chair Julius Melly said lawmakers were involved early in the rollout to fast-track legislation anchoring KEMIS in the Basic Education Act. He noted that the system would support the implementation of Kenya’s new funding model, especially for tertiary education.
Fresh Registration and Rollout Plan
According to the Ministry, all learners will be re-registered afresh on the new KEMIS platform beginning July 15, 2025, ensuring the integrity of baseline data going forward.
KEMIS will also serve as a centralized data hub for policy decisions, budgeting, exam administration, and resource allocation — a goal recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform in 2023.
The core data infrastructure will be housed at Konza Technopolis, which has a large-capacity data center capable of managing national education records securely.
While the cost of the system remains undisclosed, officials confirmed it is being executed as a government-to-government project through Konza. The Ministry hopes the system will pave the way for better integration of technology in education service delivery.
Once fully operational, KEMIS will also link with research institutions and other ministries to provide a one-stop portal for Kenya’s education sector.
