The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has officially sounded the alarm for school heads across the country, setting a firm March 2026 deadline for the registration of candidates. In a move aimed at streamlining the national assessment calendar, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba emphasized that the window for capturing learner data is narrow, and the room for error is even smaller.
This directive comes at a time when the ministry is grappling with significant data discrepancies that have previously left thousands of students in a state of academic limbo.
According to the official schedule, the registration for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) is set to commence on February 15 and will run until March 15, 2026. For those in the Junior School category, the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) registration will take place between March 2 and March 31.
Similarly, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates must be registered by the end of March. The synchronized timelines are designed to allow the council ample time for logistical planning and the procurement of examination materials.
CS Ogamba pointed out that the government is no longer willing to tolerate “clerical negligence.” In past cycles, many students were disadvantaged due to incorrect gender entries or, in extreme cases, total failure by school heads to upload their details.
These errors often result in students being placed in schools of the opposite gender or missing out on their results entirely. To prevent a recurrence, the Ministry of Education has partnered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure that any principal or headteacher found guilty of sabotaging a child’s registration faces immediate disciplinary action.
