The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) has given both public and private schools till 28th February 2022 to register learners for the 2022 national exams.
According to Knec registration of learners for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) started on 2nd January and will close this end month.
The Ministry officials have also warned school heads that the period for registration of the candidates will not be extended.
The 2022 KCPE and KCSE candidates will sit for their exams in December 2022.
Exam timetable shows that for December examinations, KCPE will be done between November 28 and December 1. KCSE will be administered between December 1 and December 23.
According to the revised education calendar, the 2021 KCPE exam will be done between March 7 and 10. KCSE will be between March 11 and April 1.
Knec data shows that for the March exams, 2,056,719 candidates were registered. Of these are 1,225,693 who will sit KCPE and 831,026 enrolled for KCSE exams under the 2021 examinations.
The council said the number of candidates sitting KCPE has increased by 34,085 compared to last year.
Additional 78,424 candidates have been registered to sit KCSE, according to KNEC data.
Last week Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha led a team from the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) on a visit to the UK where the tests are being printed.
Magoha said the March examinations will be moderated to factor in challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted learning and caused reorganisation of education calendar.
“We want our students to relax and cease expressing themselves in acts of atrocity for fear of the examinations. We are a considerate government and we will be as humane as possible,” Magoha said.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association and the Primary School Heads Association said preparations had started in earnest.
At the same time court upheld Knec move to merge exam centres. The High Court sitting in Nairobi allowed the Knec to merge exam centres with less than 30 candidates.
Justice Anthony Mrima dismissed the petition by parents stating that the petitioner failed to challenge a circular that was issued in July 2021.
He further explained that even if the court stopped three earlier circulars issued in May and June, the July circular was acceptable to accord the necessary guidelines on the the joint hosting of the exams.
“The July circular was to give fresh instructions on the joint hosting of examination centres. It is a stand-alone communication and it speaks clearly on what the addresses are to do,” Justice Mrima stated.
“Quashing the circulars, in the unique circumstances of this case, will be an exercise in futility. It will yield to nothing as the joint hosting of the examination centres will still be undertaken on the basis of the July circular. This court declines that invitation.”
A petition had been filed at the High Court after KNEC made the announcement. The petitioner argued that parents were burdened with the high cost of living and merging exam centres would affect students from marginalized areas.
KNEC told the court that the exam centres merger would enhance the security and safety of candidates and examiners, address transport challenges, cut rising administration costs and maintain the integrity of examinations.
However, the petitioner David Wanyeki Kago had challenged KNEC arguing there was no public participation and parents were not consulted before the directive was issued in July.
Kago also complained that KNEC had issued numerous and contradictory flyers between May and July 2021 on the consolidation of exam centres.
