The standoff between Kenya’s education administrators and the national legislature has reached a boiling point. On February 19, 2026, during a high-stakes session at Bunge Tower, the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Education issued a mandatory 20-day ultimatum to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Committee Chairperson Julius Melly has demanded that the Commission provide concrete evidence that all withheld KCPE and KCSE certificates have been surrendered to their rightful owners, effectively ending the “administrative ransom” currently holding thousands of young careers hostage.
The parliamentary directive is built on a clear fiscal argument: the Kenyan government already pays the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) fees for all students in public schools. Chairperson Melly asserted that because the state has already liquidated the cost of the exams, school principals have no legal basis to withhold the results.
The committee characterized the practice of keeping certificates over fee arrears as not only illegal but a direct act of sabotage against the government’s efforts to improve the country’s Human Capital Index.
A Breach of Labor and Education Statutes
Lawmakers, including Nyamira Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi, have highlighted that withholding these vital documents is a flagrant violation of both labor laws and Article 53 of the Constitution. By denying a learner their certificate, schools are effectively barring them from the formal job market and university placement. The 20-day notice is intended to force the TSC to transition from “issuing circulars” to “enforcing consequences,” ensuring that the 16,000 new teacher recruits and university applicants can verify their credentials without delay.
Under the pressure of this ultimatum, Acting TSC CEO Evaleen Mitei has signaled that the Commission will no longer shield errant administrators. Any head of institution who fails to comply with the 20-day window risks being cited for professional misconduct.
This could lead to a range of disciplinary measures, including suspension or the loss of administrative status. The TSC has mobilized its Regional and County Directors to conduct rapid audits of school safes, ensuring that the “paper trail” of uncollected certificates is cleared before the parliamentary deadline expires.
This legislative intervention is seen as a crucial step in restoring public confidence in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) transition. For many parents, the withholding of certificates has been a source of deep-seated resentment toward the school system.
By taking a hardline stance, Parliament and the TSC are sending a unified message: a student’s academic achievement is a protected statutory right, not a bargaining chip for school board debts. As the clock ticks toward mid-March, the education sector awaits a final report that could finally set thousands of “trapped” certificates free.
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TSC 20-day ultimatum certificates, Julius Melly TSC directive 2026, National Assembly Education Committee hearing, illegal withholding of KCSE certificates, Evaleen Mitei parliamentary session, teacher disciplinary action Kenya.
