KNEC administer second last KCSE exam

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The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has commenced the administration of the second-last Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination as the country prepares to transition fully from the 8-4-4 education system to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum.

The 2026 examination marks a significant milestone in Kenya's education sector, with 1,048,355 candidates registered to sit the national examination across more than 10,000 centres countrywide.

The candidates began their written examinations on Monday, November 2, with English Paper 1 in the morning and Chemistry Paper 1 in the afternoon, as the council entered the third week of the national examination exercise.

The examinations, which commenced on October 19 with oral, practical and low-candidature papers, are scheduled to conclude on Friday, November 20.

The 2026 cohort is the second-last group to undertake KCSE under the 8-4-4 curriculum, with the final cohort expected to sit the examination in 2027 before the country completes its transition to CBE.

Speaking while witnessing the opening of an  examination container in Starehe Sub-County, Nairobi, KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr David Njengere said this year's candidature had increased by 5.27 per cent compared with the 995,860 candidates who sat the examination in 2025.

Dr Njengere emphasised the need for strict adherence to examination regulations, particularly in the handling and security of examination materials.

He directed examination field officers to ensure that containers are opened at exactly 7am, warning against any breach of established procedures.

Njengere also reiterated the directive requiring all mobile phones at examination centres to be switched off and kept in lockable lockers outside examination rooms during examination sessions.

"All mobile phones in the examination centre must be switched off then kept in a lockable locker outside the examination room when the examination session is on," he said.

The council has also banned candidates from wearing wristwatches of any kind inside examination rooms, directing centre managers to provide wall clocks to enable candidates to monitor examination time.

In addition, centre managers are required to maintain approved weekly lists of all authorised personnel working at examination centres. Such personnel must produce their original national identity cards for identification.

The measures come amid continued concerns over examination malpractice, including impersonation, collusion and possession of unauthorised materials.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the government, working with KNEC and other stakeholders, had strengthened security arrangements to protect examination materials and minimise cases of leakage and early exposure.

"The Government, through KNEC and its partners, has strengthened the security of examination materials, significantly reducing the risk of leakage and early exposure," Ogamba said.

However, he acknowledged that malpractice remained a concern, particularly through impersonation, collusion and possession of prohibited materials.

On Sunday, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo warned parents, teachers and other stakeholders against falling victim to fraudsters claiming to possess or sell examination papers.

He cautioned that individuals seeking to compromise the integrity of the examinations would face the full force of the law.

The government has deployed 342,005 contracted  professionals to oversee the 2026 national examinations and assessments, including KCSE, the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).

For KCSE alone, the deployment comprises 10,765 centre managers, 12,126 supervisors, 54,782 invigilators, 22,247 security officers and 2,692 drivers.

The examination exercise follows the conclusion of KPSEA and KJSEA last week, bringing the combined candidature across the three national assessments to approximately 3.63 million.