Education ministry suspends July KCSE exams following court ruling
The decision complies with a High Court ruling that halted the newly introduced July series of exams.
Following a court order, the Ministry of Education has agreed to suspend the mid-year Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams and the registration of repeaters.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang confirmed on Thursday that the decision complies with a High Court ruling that halted the newly introduced July series of exams.
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“The suspension is in line with the court’s order, and we are now awaiting further directions from the Attorney General on how to proceed,” Kipsang said.
He also hinted that candidates originally scheduled to sit for the July exams may now have the option to take the traditional November-December KCSE exams.
The court ruling followed a petition filed by Dr Magare Gikenyi, who challenged the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), the Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General.
Gikenyi argued that there was no evidence of public participation in creating the new exam series.
“Other parts of the guidelines were made without any stakeholders’ consultation and public participation,” Gikenyi said in his petition.
The High Court in Kisii ruled on Wednesday that the registration for the July exams, targeting repeaters, was to be suspended.
The special July exams were intended for candidates who missed previous exams due to illness, those seeking to improve their scores, students retaking specific subjects, and adult learners who were not enrolled in regular schools but could prove primary education qualifications.
In response to the ruling, Kipsang added that the Ministry is evaluating the next steps based on further legal guidance.
Registration process
The suspension also affects the registration process that began on January 27, 2025 and was scheduled to run until February 21.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has expressed support for the court’s decision to halt the July series.
Moses Nthurima, KUPPET Deputy Secretary General, called the new policy discriminatory and welcomed the court’s intervention.
“We want to welcome the court’s decision on examinations. Teachers were really worried about the kind of discrimination that private candidates would have faced when they were denied the opportunity to improve their grades. We hope that the final court decision will ensure justice is served,” Nthurima said during a press briefing on Thursday.
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