Education News: KEMIS to Replace NEMIS, But Critics Worry About Misuse
The Ministry of Education has announced a new student database system called the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), which will take the place of the current National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
KEMIS will start its trial run in July 2025 and will be fully implemented by September. This system aims to gather all student records from early childhood to higher education into one platform.
Prof. Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, stated that KEMIS will improve planning, transparency, and services in education. Each student will get a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) at birth, which will connect their education records with the national civil registry.
Bitok said, “KEMIS is an important step towards making data-driven decisions in education planning and services in Kenya.”
The Ministry believes KEMIS will fix problems with NEMIS, such as fake student records and inflated school numbers. The system will also have a mobile app for parents, teachers, and others involved in education. It will connect with immigration and civil registration databases for easy updates related to births and deaths.
KEMIS will not only track student data but also provide real-time information on student transitions between education levels and help with budgeting and resource management.
The ICT Ministry will support the system, with input from the Konza Technopolis Development Authority, teachers’ unions, and Members of Parliament.
However, some people are worried about the timing and purpose of KEMIS. Critics point out that the education budget has recently been cut significantly, with no funds for important areas like national exams or the current NEMIS system. They question whether replacing NEMIS is the most urgent need right now, especially without a clear explanation of why it’s being replaced.
There are concerns about who will benefit from this new system, especially regarding the procurement process and whether it will turn into another expensive project that doesn’t deliver long-term value.
Privacy issues are also a concern, as the use of a lifelong UPI linked to birth and death records raises fears of misuse and surveillance, especially without strong data protection laws.
With many changes already happening in Kenya’s education system, some stakeholders worry that the government is adding too many administrative changes that won’t actually improve learning.
Observers note that there hasn’t been enough public discussion or evaluation of past systems. There hasn’t been a report on the problems with NEMIS, and users like school administrators, teachers, and parents haven’t been widely consulted about their needs for a national education database.
Because of this, there are worries that KEMIS might end up like other government tech projects that started with excitement but failed due to poor execution and lack of support.
To make KEMIS successful, experts suggest that the Ministry of Education should:
– Clearly explain what went wrong with NEMIS
– Share a detailed plan for how KEMIS will be implemented and evaluated
– Ensure the process for choosing suppliers is open and fair
– Provide proper training and support for users at schools
– Create strong data privacy measures to protect student information
Until these steps are taken, people are likely to remain skeptical. While KEMIS has the potential to improve how Kenya manages student data, the main focus is on building trust in the system and the technology behind it.