Kenya has stepped up preparations for this year’s KCSE exams, rolling out a wide coordination plan across government offices to guarantee that candidates sit their papers without interruption.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba briefed lawmakers this week outlining a system designed to protect exam credibility, ensure safe delivery of materials and respond quickly to weather challenges.
Nearly one million students, 996,078 in total, will take the tests in 10,765 centres across the country. The CS appeared before the parliamentary committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, where he emphasised that the ministry is working hand-in-hand with other state agencies to oversee each stage of the process, from transportation to supervision.
“In order to deliver a seamless and credible examination and assessment process, the Ministry has embraced a multi-agency approach that involves working together with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration; the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, the Teachers Service Commission, the Independent Police Oversight Authority, among other stakeholders,” he told the committee.
To manage the exam, 342,687 personnel have been deployed, including invigilators, supervisors, centre managers and security officers. Ogamba also highlighted a public reporting system that allows Kenyans to flag cheating attempts and officer misconduct.
“We have issued public communication notifying members of the public of the following toll-free lines to report any incidents of fraud or malpractices related to examinations/ assessments,” he said.
The hotline numbers released were 0800721410 and 0800724900 for the Kenya National Examinations Council, while complaints involving officers can be raised through IPOA’s 1559.
Ogamba noted that the ministry has prepared for difficult weather conditions, saying they have aircraft and off-road vehicles on standby to reach areas that may flood.
“We have four choppers, four-wheel vehicles in place to respond to any challenges,” he told MPs, adding that weather alerts had already been issued by the Meteorological Department for parts of the country.
According to the ministry, real-time tracking technology will be used to monitor movement of exam papers, while all centres will only allow authorised staff.
“The centres shall be out of bounds for all unauthorised persons. Centre managers have been informed of who the authorised persons are and advised to strictly adhere to the guidelines on administration of the assessments and examinations,” he added.
Each school has been linked to its nearest distribution point to ensure smooth supply and protect against delays.
The ministry has also purchased 43 extra storage containers to address gaps identified last year, bringing the number of containers to 659 across 642 distribution centres in 396 subcounties.
Ogamba was joined by Kenya National Examinations Council CEO David Njengere, who also addressed the committee on examination readiness. The CS said results for primary and junior school assessments will start coming out from December, while KCSE results are expected in January 2026.
