Integrating life skills and values into Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) in Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs)

Kenya’s Competency‑Based Education reform elevates life skills and values as core learning areas, yet evidence on building teacher capacity for new pedagogies remains limited. We report a qualitative multiple-case study of two Teacher Training Colleges, Eregi and Machakos, where Mizizi Elimu Afrika supported teacher educators through the ALiVE initiative. Data from 7 key informant interviews, 10 focus group discussions and 5 classroom structured observations were analysed thematically. Participants described shifting from incidental to deliberate integration of life skills and values; observers recorded group work, modelling and respectful conduct. Assessment was least developed, with ad hoc tools and no shared rubric. Training was valued but too short and infrequent; time, staffing, class size and connectivity limited sustainability. Uptake was therefore layered: lesson-level practices and everyday conduct took hold, whereas college-dependent arrangements were uneven. We recommend shared rubrics with light moderation, longer training cycles with follow-up coaching, and protected time for practice.