Government warns school heads against blocking candidates from sitting national exams as PS Bitok confirms funds released

Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Julius Bitok has cautioned school principals and headteachers against barring students from sitting the ongoing national examinations over claims of insufficient funds.

Speaking in Kibra during the official launch of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) exams, the PS assured that the government had released all required funds, including capitation, to facilitate the smooth running of examinations across the country.

“The government has given all the money to cater for all the candidates, and nobody should have any excuse for why they should not be facilitated to sit these examinations,” Bitok stated.

He added that funds had been sent to all schools that complied with the recent data verification exercise, emphasizing that no learner should be turned away.

“We have sent capitation to all our schools. There is no reason whatsoever for any school to complain about not receiving funds, particularly those that complied with the verification process,” he said.

His assurance comes after months of complaints from headteachers who had warned that delayed disbursement of capitation could disrupt the administration of national exams.

According to the Ministry of Education, the verification process uncovered over 50,000 ghost students in secondary schools, a move that officials said was necessary to ensure funds reach legitimate learners and institutions.

The ongoing national assessments include the KPSEA, running from October 27 to 30, the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) for learners with special needs, scheduled from October 27 to 31, and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA), which will run until November 6.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams entered their second week on Monday.

Bitok further called on teachers and invigilators to maintain professionalism throughout the examination period, warning that any misconduct will be met with disciplinary action.

“I call upon all teachers and invigilators to ensure that they administer these examinations professionally. We don’t expect anything short of integrity and diligence during this exam period,” he said.

The PS also assured that systems have been put in place to ensure a smooth transition for learners after the exams, as the education calendar progresses toward the 2026 academic year.