Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges in to the adoption of strategic planning
in public secondary schools in Kirinyaga Central district. The objectives of the study were: to
establish leadership, policy, resource and institutional factors influencing the adoption of strategic
planning in public secondary school in Kirinyaga Central District. The research adopted a
descriptive survey design. The target population was public secondary schools in Kirinyaga
Central District. Sampling was done through stratified, purposive and simple random sampling
methods. The sample size was twelve (12) secondary schools, 12 principals, 96 teachers and one
DQASO. Structured and semi structured questionnaires were used as data collection tools.
Interview and observation schedules were used. The responses to the items were tabulated and
data organized through frequency tables and percentages based on the research questions and were
used to generate conclusions and recommendations. The study revealed that the adoption of
strategic planning in schools was greatly hindered by leadership, resource, and policy challenges.
The findings hence indicate a need for training on strategic planning and proper resource and
financial management in schools to allow for continuous improvement.
