The government has issued a stern warning to parents, teachers and anyone tempted to deal in leaked papers, a day before 1,048,355 Form Four candidates begin the written part of the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination on Monday, November 2.

Speaking in Bondo, Siaya County, on Sunday, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said no examination paper can reach the public before it is administered to candidates, and urged families not to hand money to people claiming to have advance copies.

"Please don't fall into the trap of those who want to make quick money," the PS said, adding that anyone hoping to take advantage of the exam period should know that "our law enforcement agencies are on your trail."

A record candidature

This year's KCSE is the first in history to cross the one-million mark, according to figures from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). Oral and practical papers began on October 19, while the written papers run from November 2 to November 20.

The KCSE candidates are part of a wider exam season that KNEC says is its biggest yet. Together with Grade Six learners who sat the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Grade Nine learners who completed the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) last week, a total of 3,634,846 learners and candidates were registered this year.

The 2026 KCSE is also among the last to be written under the 8-4-4 system, which is being phased out as the Competency-Based Curriculum takes over.

'We cannot play games with our children'

Omollo said the government had invested heavily in the education sector, pointing to the recruitment of more than 100,000 teachers, and would not allow fraudsters to undermine the credibility of national examinations.

"We cannot cheat or play games with the lives of our children and the future of this country," he said, warning teachers that taking part in malpractice could cost them their careers.

Nyanza Regional Commissioner Onesmus Musyoki Kyatha said security agencies were monitoring activity both on the ground and online throughout the 20-day exam period.

"We are watching, and we are also monitoring what is happening on social media," he said, urging parents and other stakeholders to let candidates sit their papers without interference. He said anyone found facilitating cheating would be arrested regardless of their position.

What candidates and parents should know

  • Written papers run from Monday, November 2 to Friday, November 20.
  • Morning sessions start at 8am and afternoon sessions at 2pm, according to the KNEC timetable.
  • Candidates must carry their KNEC index details and use only approved stationery, such as blue or black ink pens.
  • Anyone offering "leaked" papers should be reported to the police or the Ministry of Education.

The warning echoes one issued a week ago by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, who described people claiming access to examination papers as fraudsters and asked members of the public to report them.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke/SMG (KCSE exam hall); KBC (PS Raymond Omollo). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.