NewzKISUMU, Kenya Oct 26 – The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) have begun smoothly in Kisumu County, with education officials reporting adequate preparations and urging schools to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on learners. Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Chief Executive Officer Prof Charles Ongondo, who oversaw the opening of the assessment exercise at a distribution centre in Kisumu on Monday, commended the coordination among education officials and security teams. Ongondo, who also serves on the board of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), urged stakeholders to treat the assessments as tools for measuring learning progress rather than high-stakes examinations.
They are not examinations,” he said. He noted that school-based assessments account for 60 per cent of learners’ results in both KPSEA and KJSEA, meaning the national assessments should be conducted in a way that accurately reflects learners’ abilities without creating unnecessary anxiety. Ongondo said the results would help identify learners’ strengths and areas requiring additional support as they transition to junior school and senior school.
He also cautioned against examination malpractice, stressing that the focus should remain on obtaining accurate results to guide learning and future educational interventions. Kisumu County Director of Education Magara Onduso said the county was adequately prepared, with centre managers arriving early and examination materials distributed on schedule. “I am proud to say that we are very, very well prepared,” Onduso said, expressing confidence in the readiness of learners and the teams overseeing the exercise.
The county has 773 KPSEA assessment centres serving 33,650 learners, while the KJSEA assessment is being conducted in 720 centres with 33,444 candidates. Onduso said transport arrangements, centre managers and security personnel were in place to ensure the exercise proceeded without major disruptions. “The centre managers have been here in good time, and we have distributed the exams in good time,” he said.
The KPSEA assessment is scheduled to run for three days, while the KJSEA exercise will take five days. Security officers have been deployed to escort examination materials to designated centres a… NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 26 – Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has warned that the government will take firm action against anyone involved in examination malpractice as the 2026 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) begin across the country.
Speaking in Makueni County on Monday, Ogamba said there would be no room for examination irregularities, cautioning individuals involved in attempts to compromise the integrity of the national assessments against engaging in malpractice. He said the government would take serious action against those found culpable, underscoring the need to protect the credibility of the national assessment process. The warning comes as learners across the country begin this year’s KPSEA and KJSEA assessments, marking a key stage in their progression through the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
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