NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced the dispatch of examination certificates for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates.
According to a statement released on X, KNEC has distributed the certificates to Sub-County Director of Education offices throughout the country.
“Candidates are advised to liaise with the schools where they sat the examinations to collect the certificates,” KNEC stated.
KNEC emphasized the illegality of schools withholding certificates from candidates.
“Any candidate whose certificate is withheld should report to the Sub-County Director of Education,” the council advised.
This action follows a directive issued on March 24, 2025, by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, cautioning school principals against withholding KCPE or KCSE certificates.
Mr. Ogamba asserted that withholding these crucial documents is a violation of Kenyan law, regardless of the reasons cited by school administrations.
“Holding a student’s Certificate when they have completed school on the basis of either school fees or that a student lost a book, or a student broke a window, is illegal,” Mr. Ogamba stated.
“I gave a directive that all the certificates that have been withheld, and some, I understand, for over 10 years, need to be released, and those principals need to get other methods of recovering whatever dues that might have arisen,” he added.
The CS highlighted that some schools have withheld certificates for more than a decade.
He issued a 14-day ultimatum for the release of all such documents.
The Cabinet Secretary reiterated the unlawful nature of schools withholding certificates.
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Ogamba’s directive offers relief to students and parents who may have waited for extended periods to obtain their certificates for further education or employment purposes.
The CS affirmed that the Ministry of Education will maintain close oversight of schools to ensure that students can access their certificates without preconditions.
To address this ongoing issue, the Ministry of Education is considering transferring the responsibility for certificate custody from schools to education offices.
