Abstract:

Basic education is a constitutional right in Kenya, yet retention of school‑girl mothers in public primary schools in Busia County remains low despite the re‑entry policy. This study examined how participatory evaluation of re‑entry policy influences retention of schoolgirl mothers, drawing on Tinto’s Learner Retention Theory. An explanatory sequential mixed‑methods design targeted 897 stakeholders (schoolgirl mothers, caregivers, teachers, community leaders and education officers), from whom 287 respondents were selected using multistage cluster sampling guided by the Krejcie & Morgan model (1986) . Data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and complemented by thematic analysis. Findings showed a significant positive relationship between participatory evaluation and retention (r = 0.334, p < 0.001; R² = 0.111), indicating that stakeholder engagement, inclusive decision‑making and feedback mechanisms enhance schoolgirl mothers’ academic and social integration. The study concludes that institutionalizing participatory monitoring and evaluation of re‑entry policy can strengthen retention in primary schools.