26/12/2025
Kenya’s approach to Special Needs Education (SNE) has evolved through various commissions that transitioned the system from church-led segregation to a modern focus on inclusive education.
Key Historical Commission Recommendations
Ominde Commission (1964): Recommended the first major step toward integration, suggesting that children with mild handicaps should be integrated into regular schools to learn alongside their peers.
Gachathi Report (1976): Called for increased research to determine the specific nature and extent of various handicaps in the population. It also emphasized the need for vocational training to help school leavers with special needs enter the workforce.
Kamunge Report (1988): Emphasized improving teacher training for SNE and recommended the deployment of specialized SNE inspectors at the district level to oversee quality and implementation.
Koech Report (1999): Noted that special education had been largely omitted from previous legal frameworks. It recommended a comprehensive legal framework for SNE and proposed that education for children with disabilities be made universal and compulsory to eliminate disparities.
Kochung Task Force (2003): Established following the re-introduction of free primary education to ensure children with disabilities were not denied admission to mainstream schools based on their condition.
Modern Policy and Legal Framework (2025)
As of 2025, Kenya has further formalized these historical recommendations through new legislation:
Learners with Disabilities Bill (2023/2025): Seeks to ensure the right to basic education for learners with disabilities at all levels. It mandates the creation of a Special Needs Education Advisory Board and obligates both National and County governments to bring SNE to parity with regular education.
Persons with Disabilities Act (2025): Recently enacted legislation that mandates learning institutions to adjust entry requirements, pass marks, curriculum, and class schedules for pwds
