KCSE Retake Exam: The Proposal, What Went Wrong and What Lies Ahead.
The introduction of the KCSE retake exams aimed to offer thousands of students a chance to improve their grades. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that the first-ever retake exams would take place in July, a departure from the traditional November schedule.
This initiative targeted various groups: full repeaters intending to retake all subjects, partial repeaters revisiting one or two subjects, and those who missed the exams due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances. Additionally, adult learners not enrolled in regular schools were eligible to register.
Candidates were required to submit their national ID, KCPE result certificate, previous KCSE certificate, and a passport photo by the February 21 registration deadline. However, the exams excluded first-time candidates and those failing to meet the specified eligibility criteria.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) had a detailed schedule for the retake exams. Practical exams for subjects like art and design, agriculture, and computer studies were slated to begin in January and run until July.
Theory and practical papers were scheduled for July 1 to August 1, with project-based exams conducted at the sub-county level. Marking would take less time due to the smaller number of candidates compared to the November exams.
Candidates who completed all subjects would receive full KCSE certificates, while partial repeaters would get result slips for the subjects retaken.
KNEC intended to conduct two exam series annually—July and November—until 2027, after which the KCSE exams would cease altogether.
Court Intervention Halts Progress
On January 29, the High Court in Nakuru issued a conservatory order halting the retake process after a petition by Dr. Marari Keni.
The petitioner argued that the initiative required further legal scrutiny. Justice Teresia Achieng found merit in the case and suspended the registration process pending a court decision.
This order left the Ministry of Education and KNEC in a bind, forcing the suspension of ongoing registration.
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The Basic Education Principal Secretary, Belio Kipsang, assured that the November KCSE exams would proceed as scheduled. However, uncertainty loomed over the fate of the July retakes and whether repeat candidates would be absorbed into the November series.
As of now, the retake process is in limbo, with the Ministry and KNEC indicating plans to appeal the court’s decision.
The initiative’s fate depends on whether the courts permit the July exams to proceed. With the KCSE exams set to phase out by 2027, students hoping for a second chance face a race against time.
KCSE Retake Exam: The Proposal, What Went Wrong and What Lies Ahead.
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