The 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations officially kicked off across the country today, Monday, November 2, with a record-breaking 1,048,355 candidates.

Speaking in Borabu Sub-County, Nyamira County, during the opening of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) storage containers, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba said this is the first time in Kenyan history that candidature has crossed the tremendous one-million mark. This represents a 5.27 percent increase from 2025’s 995,860 candidates and 2024’s 965,172, he said.

“Today marks the commencement of the main written papers of the 2026 KCSE examination,” CS Ogamba said, emphasizing both the growing scale of the exercise and the education ministry’s strict commitment to maintaining its integrity.

Following the cancellation of 1,180 candidate results due to irregularities during the 2025 KCSE, the government has introduced stringent new guidelines to eliminate cheating channels, particularly targeting electronic devices like smartphones.

CS Ogamba has banned support staff, including cooks, guards, and clerical workers from using mobile phones within exam centers during the ongoing examinations. All authorized personnel must also switch off or silence their mobile devices and store them in lockers outside the examination rooms.

To prevent unauthorized access and protect the integrity of the final results, center managers are also required to maintain an approved weekly roster of all personnel permitted inside the institution. Furthermore, candidates are strictly prohibited from wearing any type of wristwatch in the examination room.

The national examination storage containers.

Government will rely hi-tech security tracking to prevent early leakages as KNEC has scaled up its digital security framework by equipping national examination storage containers with smart padlocks, expanding on a 250-container pilot program from 2025. These smart locks transmit real-time alerts to KNEC headquarters whenever a container is opened, closed, or tampered with outside official hours.

Basic Education Principal Secretary PS) John Ololtuaa oversaw the distribution of materials in Nairobi’s Makadara Sub-County on Monday, November 2, confirming that the ministry now receives automated reports on the exact dispatch and return times of exam papers.

Meanwhile, KNEC CEO Dr. David Njengere says government has gone an extra mile in the ongoing exams affirming that field officers will open containers at precisely 7:00 AM daily. Officials expect nationwide distribution reports by 10:00 AM each morning, allowing for rapid intervention if delivery issues arise.