Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has fired a subtle warning to education stakeholders as the country heads into examination season from October.
Ogamba spoke on Sunday, October 5, during World Teachers' Day, where he urged teachers to ensure the integrity and credibility of examinations are upheld, as he promised teachers full government support in executing their mandate.
"As always, we look forward to your support in delivering a seamless and credible examination and assessment process," Ogamba said.
"Let us work together to ensure that the outcome reflects the honest work of our students."
The CS, while delivering a speech on behalf of President William Ruto, highlighted that the stakes for examination credibility were higher in 2025, particularly because it would be the first time the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) exams were being administered.
KJSEA and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will be conducted over a nine-day period, starting on October 27 and concluding on November 6. These exams are particularly critical in measuring the progress of learners under the CBC, to guide their transitions to the next grades.
As far as the numbers are concerned, Ogamba confirmed that 1,298,089 learners would be sitting the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), while the inaugural KJSEA will see 1,130,669 students take part.
Meanwhile, at least 996,078 students will sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
In recent years, the government has upped measures to curb examination cheating, with serious repercussions slapped on individuals and institutions found culpable.
Ogamba, in 2024, announced the personalisation of examination papers and the confiscation of all mobile phones in the examination centre as some of the biggest measures to curb exam malpractice.
At the time, the CS announced that the government would also undertake surveillance on social media to take immediate action against any reports or signs of exam malpractice.
The CS also announced that the constitution of special courts to prosecute those caught cheating in exams.
In line with previous Ministry directives, Term 3 remains a restricted period for school activities, meaning all non-essential activities and visits to secondary schools are banned throughout the term.
