The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has sounded a warning to schools following the release of the 2023 KCSE and KCPE certificates.
In an update shared on Monday, April 28, the council emphasised that it was unlawful for any school to withhold examination certificates from candidates under any circumstances.
“It is unlawful to withhold a certificate from a candidate. Any candidate whose certificate is withheld should report to the Sub-County Director of Education,” KNEC warned.
The council's warning was coupled with the announcement that 2023 certificates for both KCSE and KCPE had been dispatched to all schools which presented candidates for national examinations through the Sub-County Director of Education offices countrywide.
Candidates have since been advised to liaise with their respective schools for the collection of their certificates.
The council's warning to schools came amid a spate of complaints in recent times from parents and candidates, who have in the past been denied certificates for a number of reasons, which are mostly financial.
Schools typically tend to withhold candidates' certificates until the candidates satisfy all financial requirements, including pending school fee arrears.
In March, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba issued a similar warning to schools, noting that some of the certificates have been withheld by schools for over 10 years. Ogamba proceeded to issue a 14-day order to release the withheld certificates.
"I gave a directive that all the certificates that have been withheld and some, I understand, for over 10 years, need to be released and those principals need to get other methods of recovering whatever dues that might have arisen,” Ogamba said on March 25.
To curb the issue of the stalling of school certificates, the government is flirting with the idea of moving the custody of school certificates from schools to education officers.
Besides the release of the 2023 certificates, Ogamba revealed on Sunday that certificates for the 2024 KCSE would be coming out this week. The CS urged guardians to ensure that students enrol for university before the April 30 deadline, with the current enrollment rate sitting at 72 per cent.
In 2024, a total of 962,512 students sat for their KCSE examinations, and out of these, 246,391 candidates scored a grade of C+ and above, which qualifies them for university admission.
