The Kenya Science and Engineering Fair (KSEF)

By Agnes Chepchumba


 The Kenya Science and Engineering Fair (KSEF) is the primary platform for young innovators in Kenya to showcase their scientific research and inventions. With the rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE), Junior School Learners (Grades 7, 8, and 9) now play a central role in these competitions, which are designed to foster critical thinking and the application of STEM.

 Core Categories for Junior Schools

Projects are typically divided into several categories to allow learners to focus on specific problems. Common categories include:

Robotics & Coding: A rapidly growing category supported by CEMASTEA. Learners  build programmable robots or software solutions.

Environmental Science: Focused on waste management, climate change, and sustainable energy (e.g., solar or biomass).

Engineering & Technology: Building physical prototypes like water purifiers, alarm systems, or simple agricultural machines.

Agriculture: Innovations in food preservation or creating nutritious products from local indigenous crops.

Behavioral & Social Sciences: Research-based projects looking at social trends or community health.

The fair usually follows a progressive elimination structure across the school year. The National Fair is a prestigious event where the best students from all 47 counties meet to present their work to experts and university judges.

How to Participate (Tips for Learners)

Identify a Problem: The best projects start with a local problem. For example, "How can we stop monkeys from eating crops?" or "How can we make cheap soap in the village?"

Keep a Logbook: Judges look for a detailed "Science Journal" that records every step of the experiment, including failures.

The Exhibit: You will need a display board (usually three-sided) and a working prototype or model to demonstrate your idea during the judging rounds.

Presentation Skills: Students must be able to explain the science behind their project clearly and answer questions about its cost and scalability.

Key Partners

The fair is overseen by the Ministry of Education, with significant support from:

 CEMASTEA: Provides training for teachers and specific expertise in Robotics.

 Young Scientists Kenya (YSK): Often partners with KSEF to offer mentorship and additional exhibition opportunities.

This is a big step towards aligning competencies to the industry 



Together we demystify CBE and enable smooth transition from Junior School to Senior School

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