Candidates sitting for KCSE. KCSE will be phased out and usher in the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) in 2028. /FILE
The Ministry of Education has announced that the 2025 Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education results will be released on Friday, January 9, 2026.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba is expected to preside over the
event in Eldoret, beginning at 9.30 am.
A total of 996,000 candidates sat the national examination
last year across various centres in the country.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has been finalising the marking
and processing of the results ahead of Friday’s release.
The ministry said candidates will be able to access their results shortly
after the official announcement.
Some parents had raised concerns over what they perceived as a delay in
releasing the 2025 KCSE results, but CS Ogamba maintained that the process was
proceeding as planned.
Ogamba said the ministry has consistently released KCSE results in January
and assured the public that this year’s schedule had not shifted.
In an effort to address longstanding issues
around withheld certificates, the ministry has introduced a new system where
candidates will collect their KCSE certificates from subcounty education
offices instead of their former schools.
The change is intended to prevent delays linked to unpaid school fees.
The 2025 KCSE exams were administered between
October 21 and November 14, 2025.
During the examination period, 418 candidates were flagged for various
irregularities.
Marking also experienced a brief interruption
after about 800 examiners staging at Maryhill Girls High School in Thika downed
their tools on November 30 over concerns about working conditions and
what they described as poor communication from the ministry.
The Kenya National Examinations Council later announced that the matter had
been settled, stating that all examiners had received their dues and rejecting
reports that coordination payments were outstanding.
Last month, the council cautioned schools
against holding onto KCSE certificates for any reason.
KNEC reminded institutions that the law requires the immediate release of
certificates and advised candidates experiencing difficulties to seek help from
the sub-county director of education.
The directive followed persistent complaints
from learners who said schools were retaining certificates to push parents to
clear fee balances.
Some institutions have previously justified the practice by
pointing to financial risks, saying tracking former students becomes difficult
once they leave school.
Other schools have cited unreturned learning materials or unresolved
disciplinary issues as grounds for withholding certificates.
KNEC reiterated that such actions are unlawful
and directed affected candidates to report any instances directly to education
officials for intervention.