Nairobi County Accelerates Construction of New Junior Secondary Classrooms

The government has fast-tracked the construction of 14 new classrooms for the junior secondary school (JSS) level at Lenana School Primary in Ngando Ward, Dagoretti South Sub-County, Nairobi. This expansion is part of efforts to ease overcrowding and accommodate the transition of Grade 6 learners into Grade 7 as the country rolls out the Competency‑Based Curriculum model. The classrooms are being added to the 48 already built in the first two phases of the project, reaffirming the government’s intention to offer inclusive access in densely populated wards.
The push comes amid a broader national infrastructure drive targeting junior secondary education, with the Ministry of Education (Kenya) reporting that some 3,500 JSS classrooms were 98 percent complete by December 2024, and an additional 7,500 classrooms were at 70 percent as part of the next phase. The funding and allocation also included a KSh 18.8 billion release for constructing 16,000 junior secondary classrooms nationwide. These developments reflect the urgent need to align infrastructure with the evolving educational structure and growing student populations in urban centres like Nairobi.
School administrators and local officials say the new classrooms will dramatically reduce strain on existing facilities, especially in wards that previously lacked a public junior secondary institution. As Mr. Gilbert Kitiyo, Nairobi Regional Commissioner, pointed out, the expanded facility at Lenana School will serve more than 300 learners from the ward and about 200 students from private academies, easing the burden on parents and reducing long commute times.Further amenities under construction include science laboratories, ablution blocks, a staff room and a dedicated area for physical education.
Looking ahead, the government plans to replicate this model across highly congested zones in Nairobi’s 17 sub-counties, giving priority to schools in informal settlements and high-growth catchment areas. Implementation will include monitoring mechanisms for progress and broad stakeholder coordination—ranging from NG-CDF committees to local parent-teacher associations. If this acceleration holds, Nairobi stands to make significant headway in providing equitable, quality learning environments for junior secondary learners.