KNEC deploys smart padlocks as record 3.6m set to sit exams
Education
By
Lewis Nyaundi
| Oct 06, 2026
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is set to handle its biggest examination and assessment yet, with more than 3.4 million learners registered, as the council rolls out smart padlocks across all examination materials storage containers to tighten security.
The 2026 examination season will also see tighter controls on access to examination papers, with KNEC headquarters able to monitor when each container is opened and locked.
KNEC chief executive officer David Njengere said the council had moved to secure all its containers with smart padlocks after piloting the technology in 250 containers last year.
“Last year, KNEC piloted the use of smart padlocks in 250 containers. This year, all the containers will be secured using the smart padlocks,” Dr Njengere said.
“We will be able to tell from here the time when every padlock is opened and the time when every padlock is locked.”
The record candidature comes as the council continues with the transition to competency-based education, with the Kenya Primary Education Assessment, Kenya Junior School Education Assessment and KCSE all recording an increase in candidates.
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA)has registered 1,380,463 learners, up from 1,298,089 last year.
The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) has 1,206,028 learners, compared with 1,130,679 last year.
KCSE candidature has risen to 1,048,355 candidates, up from 996,078 last year.
Together, the three examinations and assessments account for more than 3.6 million candidates, although KNEC’s official combined figure given at the launch was over 3.4 million.
Njengere said the numbers represented the highest candidature the council had ever handled.
“That’s the highest number that this Council has ever attempted to administer assessments and examinations to. So we are quite stretched, but we are up to the task,” he said.
The containers will be opened from 6am for KJSEA materials, while KCSE materials will be collected at 7am and 12.30pm for the respective examination sessions.
Njengere said KNEC had also retained the system of double collection of KCSE examination papers by centre managers, which he said had helped reduce exposure of examination materials.
Morning examination papers will be packed in white-labelled cartons while afternoon papers will be packed in yellow-labelled cartons.
“Anything else will be treated as a malpractice,” he said, warning examination officials against opening the wrong cartons.
The council has also personalised examination papers with candidates’ details. The details will be removed after every examination session before the scripts are given to examiners for marking.
The measure is intended to protect the identity of candidates during marking.
Mobile phones will remain one of the biggest areas of concern during the KCSE examination, with KNEC maintaining a ban on phones for everyone inside examination centres.
“No candidate, no centre manager, no supervisor, no investigator, no security officer or any other person in the examination centre will be allowed to have a phone during the examination session,” Njengere said.
He said candidates and examination officials would be required to surrender their phones before every examination session and collect them after the session.
Anyone found with a phone during an examination session will be treated as having committed an examination malpractice.
Njengere said KNEC would also operate a 24-hour toll-free call centre to allow officials and members of the public to report challenges and facilitate rapid response.
The council expects to deploy 342,000 contracted professionals to support the administration of the examinations and assessments.
The KCSE examination season will begin with rehearsals on October 16.
Papers with smaller candidature will be administered from October 19 to 30, while papers with larger candidature will be administered from November 2 to 20.
KNEC has also intensified preparations for the transition to competency-based education, with school-based assessments already taking place in primary, junior and senior schools.
Njengere said Grade 10 learners in senior school were currently undertaking their first school-based assessment, which will contribute 15 per cent towards the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education.
He said the move was intended to reduce the pressure associated with high-stakes examinations by assessing learners progressively.
“There is no noise, it’s very quiet, but assessments are going on, so that we reduce the stakes in assessments and allow our children to demonstrate their competencies,” he said.
Another development is the increase in the number of candidates sitting the KCSE qualifying test.
KNEC administered the test to 2,023 candidates on September 30. The test is for learners who do not have the required KCPE qualification or its equivalent but need to qualify to sit KCSE.
Njengere said the number was significantly higher than previous years and was linked to the 100 per cent transition policy.
The government has also expanded storage capacity for examination materials in preparation for the examination season.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said 38 additional examination containers had been installed in sub-counties, adding to the existing 653 containers.
The move is aimed at reducing the distance examination materials have to travel and ensuring that candidates are not disadvantaged by disruptions.
The government is also preparing for possible disruption caused by heavy rains, with the Interior Ministry warning of risks of flooding, landslides, damaged roads and displacement.
A whole-of-government approach has been adopted, with security and disaster-response agencies expected to work together throughout the examination period.
Security officials said all examination containers would be guarded around the clock, with four security officers assigned to each container—two during the day and two at night—with additional non-commissioned officers providing supervision.
For KCSE, at least two security officers will be deployed to every examination centre. Centres with more than 250 candidates may receive additional security depending on the risk assessment.
Security personnel will also escort examination materials between containers and examination centres in areas considered insecure.
A command centre has been established at Harambee House to coordinate incidents and respond to emerging security and logistical challenges during the examination period.
The government will also monitor weather conditions continuously and activate contingency plans where necessary.
Ogamba warned that officials who breach examination regulations would face the full force of the law.
“Let me affirm today to all of you that we will have no mercy on anyone who will be found engaging in any form of malpractice,” he said.
He urged centre managers, supervisors, invigilators and other officials to strictly follow the examination regulations.
Ogamba said examination malpractice threatened the credibility of the entire education system and could have serious consequences beyond schools.
“To destroy a country is to destroy the education system. And you destroy the education system by introducing such things as malpractice,” he said.
Njengere also warned parents and candidates against fraudsters selling fake examination papers ahead of the examinations.
He said all examination papers had been secured and candidates would only see them when they were officially opened at examination centres.
“These papers, all the candidates will see these papers on the day that the papers are opened in the examination centres,” he said.
He urged parents to avoid being conned by people claiming to have access to examination papers.
“There is nobody who can avail you any paper until the day when they sit for the exam,” Njengere said.
The officials said field officers would be briefed from October 6, with KNEC insisting that all officers involved in the administration of examinations attend the briefings in person.
Njengere said there would be no delegation because the briefings would provide detailed instructions on how the examinations should be administered.
“If a person is not available, they cannot expect to preside over the exams and assessments successfully, having not been briefed,” he said.