Education CS Julius Ogamba has said the national exams are moving forward under close supervision, with the marking of the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment gaining pace and the KCSE entering its final days with only a few cases of irregularities reported.
Ogamba noted that the KJSEA moved straight into the marking phase after the assessment closed on November 3, and more than 11,000 examiners are already stationed at different centres across the country.
In total, 11,342 teachers have reported to 24 selected marking centres to handle the scripts. He added that machine scoring of the multiple-choice papers is running smoothly, and about half of that work is already cleared.
"The administration of the KJSEA has moved smoothly into the marking phase, and we appreciate the commitment of all examiners involved,” Ogamba said.
On the KCSE, now nearing completion, the CS said the exam period has been steady, with very minimal cheating attempts and good cooperation from field officers, centre managers and security teams.
He praised the calm environment in most centres and highlighted a moment in Nyeri Central Sub-County where a police sergeant wrote a poem celebrating honesty during the exams, calling it a reflection of the spirit guiding this year’s exam season.
Even with the overall progress, Ogamba confirmed that security teams are dealing with a number of people attempting to leak exam content. So far, 78 suspects have been arrested for exposing exam material online while the tests were underway.
"Evidence-led operations will continue, and more culprits will face the full force of the law,” Ogamba warned.
He also revealed that seven cases of impersonation have been recorded, most involving adults sitting exams on behalf of others.
As outlined in the Kenya National Examinations Act of 2012, anyone found guilty risks having their results cancelled and may be barred from taking national exams for up to three years.
Ogamba said all confirmed offenders will be prosecuted.
To protect the integrity of the exams, the ministry has tightened rules around movement and communication. Armed escort is now mandatory for centre managers transporting exam papers, official vehicles can only be used for exam functions and mobile phones are fully banned inside examination sites.
Ogamba thanked candidates, teachers, security officers and members of the public for supporting the exercise so far.
He urged Kenyans to stay alert and report any suspicious behaviour using KNEC’s toll-free numbers 0800721410 and 0800724900. Cases involving police misconduct can be reported to IPOA through toll-free line 1559.
