High School Dropout Rates Decline in Nairobi After Outreach Programs

The Ministry of Education has reported a notable drop in high school dropout rates across Nairobi following the implementation of targeted outreach programs designed to re-engage vulnerable learners. According to new data from UNICEF Kenya and the Ministry’s Department of Basic Education, the retention rate among Form One to Form Four students in Nairobi has risen by nearly 15 percent over the past year. The turnaround is being attributed to community-based mentorship, scholarship initiatives, and school feeding programs that have reduced absenteeism and encouraged learners to stay in school.
The campaign—part of the Let’s Keep Every Child in School initiative—was rolled out in partnership with non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children, Plan International, and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). These partners focused on supporting learners from low-income neighborhoods in Nairobi’s informal settlements, where economic pressures, early pregnancies, and family instability had historically driven high dropout rates. Outreach workers have conducted door-to-door awareness drives, identified at-risk learners, and coordinated with schools to provide financial and emotional support. The program also reintroduced accelerated learning sessions for older teens returning to class after long absences.
Teachers and parents have welcomed the initiative as a timely intervention that not only restores hope for learners but also strengthens the education ecosystem. We’ve seen tremendous improvement in attendance, especially among girls, said a principal at a Nairobi secondary school. Mentorship and school feeding programs are making a real difference. Education officials caution, however, that maintaining the gains will require continuous funding and broader social support systems. As the initiative expands to more sub-counties, Nairobi County plans to launch a monitoring framework to track school retention, with the goal of cutting dropout rates to below 5 percent by 2027.