Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) is redefining what it means to educate by sensitizing academic staff from the College of Human Resource Development (COHRED) on Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), a system that shifts the measure of success from what a learner knows to what they can practically actually do.
Higher education has largely measured success through examination scores while producing graduates who can recall content but often struggle to apply it at the workplace.
The two-day training, held on 23rd and 24th June, 2026, marks a significant milestone in the university’s journey towards producing graduates who are not only knowledgeable but competent, skilled and ready for the demands of a rapidly evolving workplace.
The training was officiated by the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Prof. Robert Kinyua, who called on participants to take the training seriously, describing CBET as a global system that is increasingly becoming a standard in higher education. He noted that its adoption at JKUAT would bring about a significant change in how students interact with their lecturers.
“CBET is not about first class,” Prof. Kinyua said, adding that “a competent person is someone who has reached expectation.” He urged participants to understand and deliver CBET with the goal of producing graduates who are competent.
Additionally, the Principal of COHRED, Prof. Florence Ondieki, called for active participation from all staff members, and acknowledged that CBET is disruptive but encouraged staff to embrace it with an open and positive attitude.
The principal acknowledged that change is not easy and can be uncomfortable, but encouraged staff to be open minded and have positive attitude. “Listen to understand,” she said, adding that attitude was key to embracing the new approach.
She also challenged the training participants to think critically about their teaching methods and consider what adjustments would be needed to align with the upcoming cohort of 2029 CBET students at the university.
Reflecting on the training experience, Dr. Dennis Juma, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business Administration, acknowledged that the training had helped him shift his thinking from “a lecturer-centered to a learner-centered approach.” The goal of teaching in the near future is to help learners discover themselves and develop their creative ability.
He noted that even in the social sciences, CBET opens up new possibilities. “In HR you can train students to demonstrate their ability to even interview, look at interview questions, what to expect and what to observe,” he said, adding that he now appreciates how his content could produce outcomes that are practical, tangible and applicable, helping students to learn by doing.
CBET goes beyond skills alone. It recognizes that a truly competent graduate must possess knowledge of their field, the practical ability to apply it, and the right attitude to perform professionally in the workplace. It is this combination of what a learner knows, what they can do, and how they conduct themselves that defines competence under the new system.
The training was facilitated by a multidisciplinary team comprising Prof. Florence Ondieki, Dr. Rebecca Maina, Dr. Cynthia Waga, Dr. George Gateru, Dr. Kalundu Kimanzi, Dr. Lucy Wachira, Mr. Anthony Maina, Ms. Lydia Chesire, Mr. Amstrong Danson, and Ms. Jane Meme, who guided COHRED faculty through the practical application of the CBET framework.
