Kwale County is fully prepared to administer the 2025 national examinations scheduled to begin in October and conclude in November, officials have confirmed.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will oversee the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and school-based assessments for Grades 3, 4, and 7. The KCSE exams will run from October 21 to November 21, while the KJSEA will be conducted from October 27 to November 5.
County Director of Education (CDE) Ahmed Abdi said all systems were in place to ensure smooth and credible examinations. “We are committed to providing a conducive and secure environment during the entire examination period,” Abdi told KNA in an interview.
He emphasised that the examinations would be conducted under tight security to maintain integrity. “We are liaising with the police to ensure adequate security so that the exercise is carried out in a safe and secure environment,” he said.
Abdi noted that KNEC has introduced new regulations aimed at tightening security and promoting accountability in the administration of the national examinations. He warned that any involvement in exam malpractice—whether by candidates, invigilators, or supervisors—would attract severe penalties once culpability is established by KNEC.
The director appealed to parents and guardians to encourage their children to focus on studying and to avoid any dishonest practices such as cheating, copying, or bringing unauthorised materials like notes or phones into the exam rooms.
Among the notable reforms this year is the introduction of personalised examination papers for all KCSE and KJSEA candidates.
A total of 67,457 candidates are set to sit for the exams across 1,131 centers in the county. Of these, 32,679 will sit for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), 22,885 for the KJSEA, 11,757 for the KCSE, and 18 for the Kenya Primary Level Education Assessment (KPLEA).
Out of the total, 33,821 are boys and 33,526 are girls, with 110 private candidates registered for the examinations. The breakdown by centre includes 557 for KPSEA, 452 for KJSEA, 120 for KCSE, and one for KPLEA.
In the KPSEA category, 29,476 candidates are from public schools and 3,213 from private institutions. For the KJSEA, 21,492 are from public schools and 1,391 from private schools, while 11,163 KCSE candidates are from public schools and 594 from private institutions.
Abdi said KCSE exams will begin on October 21 and run for four weeks, while both KPSEA and KJSEA will commence on October 27, lasting three and six days respectively.
He assured that all logistical arrangements, including deployment of examination officials and security personnel, have been finalised. “All plans are in place to ensure smooth, credible, and fair examinations across all centers in the county,” he said.
The education official urged school heads to verify all documentation and candidate details before the examinations begin and called on parents and community members to avoid any activities that might disrupt the exam process.
Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesperson Mwanaisha Chidzuga has launched a relief food distribution drive in Matuga Sub-County targeting all day schools in readiness for the national exams.
Chidzuga said the initiative seeks to support learners as they prepare for the tests, noting that hunger affects concentration and performance. “We want our children to do their best during the exams. They cannot study and perform well on empty stomachs, so we have brought food to support them,” she said.
She added that the initiative has received backing from President William Ruto, emphasising that education remains a key priority for both national and county leadership.
More than 160 schools across Kwale County are expected to benefit from the exercise. So far, 61 schools in Matuga have received 197 bags of rice and 158 bags of beans. The programme will extend to Shimba Hills, Kinango, Lungalunga, and Samburu sub-counties, each receiving 200 bags of rice and beans, totalling 1,000 bags weighing 50 kilograms each.
Additionally, her office has distributed sanitary towels to ensure that girls sit for their exams comfortably and with dignity.
Chidzuga noted that although Kwale County was not initially listed among areas to receive relief food, she made a personal appeal to the President to extend support to her home county to improve learners’ welfare and boost education outcomes.
She appealed to parents and communities to assist with cooking and providing essentials such as cooking oil to ensure the success of the programme. “This is a collective effort. The government has provided the food, and now we ask parents to help with the preparation so that our children can benefit fully,” she said.
Chidzuga reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting equitable access to education nationwide and wished all candidates success in the upcoming examinations.
By Hussein Abdullahi and Rachel Nzioki
