Ogamba Warns Candidates, Officials of Legal Action Over Exam Cheating

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has warned that candidates and education officials involved in examination malpractice during the 2026 national assessment season will face legal action.

Ogamba issued the warning on Monday during the launch of the 2026 National Examination Assessment Season at New Mtihani House in Nairobi, as schools prepare for examinations and assessments scheduled to begin later this month.

He said the responsibility for protecting the integrity of the examinations extended beyond candidates to school administrators, centre managers, supervisors and invigilators. 

All officials involved in the administration of the examinations will be required to follow the established rules, with those found facilitating malpractice facing legal consequences. The government has also strengthened security measures around examination materials. The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will use smart padlocks with remote monitoring capabilities to secure examination storage containers across the country.

KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njegere said the smart padlocks were piloted in 250 schools during the previous examination cycle. Following the pilot, the council decided to expand their use nationwide.

The technology is intended to improve oversight of examination materials and reduce the risk of unauthorised access. Remote monitoring will also allow officials to track the security of containers more closely during the examination period.

The 2026 national examination and assessment season will run from October 19 to November 20 and will cover learners at different levels of the education system.

Candidates sitting the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will take their examinations from October 26 to October 29. The Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) will run from October 26 to October 30.

The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will be administered from October 26 to November 5. At secondary school level, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination will begin on October 19 with foreign language papers. 

The main examination schedule will run from November 2 to November 20. Education officials, centre managers and other personnel involved in the examination process will therefore be required to maintain strict security throughout the assessment period.