Kenya has recorded a historic breakthrough in its education sector as the number of candidates registered for the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations crossed the one million mark for the first time.
Figures from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) show that a record 1,049,276 candidates have been registered to sit the 2026 KCSE examinations.
The number marks a notable rise from the 993,226 candidates who sat the 2025 KCSE examinations.
In 2025, 995,860 candidates had initially registered for the examination, but 993,226 eventually sat the tests.
The 2025 candidature had already reflected a 3.19 per cent increase, equal to 30,714 candidates, from the 962,512 learners who sat the KCSE examination in 2024.
Education stakeholders welcomed the latest figures, saying they show improved access to schooling and the success of government efforts to raise transition rates from primary to secondary school.
The upward trend is also visible in Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) assessments. According to KNEC, 1,193,200 learners have been registered for the 2026 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
That figure is above the 1,130,459 candidates who sat the assessment in 2025.
The 2025 cohort was especially significant because it was the pioneer class completing Junior School under the CBC system.
Among the candidates who sat last year’s assessment, 578,630 were boys, representing 51.19 per cent, while 551,829 were girls, accounting for 48.81 per cent.
Registrations for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) have also continued to rise. KNEC records show that 1,300,864 candidates have registered for the 2026 assessment.
This follows the 2025 KPSEA, which was taken by 1,298,089 Grade Six learners in 32,843 assessment centres across the country.
The release of the registration figures came as KNEC moved to dismiss claims circulating online that it planned to recruit non-teachers as examiners, supervisors and invigilators for this year’s national examinations and assessments.
The widely shared claim alleged that the council was introducing reforms similar to those used by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), allowing people from various professions to oversee examinations.
The post said KNEC was moving towards more credible, transparent and independent management of Kenya’s national examinations.
KNEC rejected the claims and urged the public to disregard the information.
In a statement, the council warned people to remain alert to false information.
The warning, however, drew reactions from teachers and other professionals contracted to administer national examinations, with many using the moment to raise concerns over delayed payments for services rendered during last year’s examinations.