KCSE rehearsals to continue on Friday despite national holiday to honour Raila Odinga
Senior officials at the Ministry of Education confirmed on Thursday that the exercise will not be postponed, saying any alteration would interfere with the national examination calendar.
Rehearsals for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations will proceed on Friday, October 17, as earlier scheduled, despite the day being declared a national holiday to honour the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Senior officials at the Ministry of Education confirmed on Thursday that the exercise will not be postponed, saying any alteration would interfere with the national examination calendar.
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“Normally, rehearsals are not interfered with and officers on the ground have been duly briefed,” a senior official at the Ministry said.
The Ministry emphasised that the rehearsals are crucial in preparing both candidates and invigilators for the national exams.
During the exercise, candidates are briefed on examination rules and regulations from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), including acceptable conduct, time management and items permitted in examination rooms.
Teachers, supervisors and invigilators will also review procedures for handling examination materials, maintaining integrity and ensuring proper invigilation throughout the exam period.
Education officials noted that past examinations have gone ahead as planned even when new public holidays were declared, saying the exam calendar must remain consistent.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, gazetted Friday as a public holiday to mark a national day of mourning for Odinga, who passed away in India on Wednesday morning.
A state funeral service will be held at Nyayo National Stadium, after which Odinga’s body will be taken to his Karen home overnight before being flown to Kisumu on Saturday for public viewing at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo. He will be laid to rest on Sunday, October 19, at his Opoda home in Bondo.
The KCSE written examinations will begin on Monday, October 21, with orals in French, German, Arabic and Kenyan Sign Language, alongside Music practicals.
Meanwhile, 1,130,669 candidates have registered for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), while another 1,298,089 learners will sit the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
Briefings for centre managers, supervisors and invigilators began on Monday, October 6, ahead of the national examinations, which will run from October 17 to November 21, 2025.
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