More than 70,000 candidates started their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) in Machakos County, with education officials reporting a smooth start and candidature rise across all nine sub-counties.

Machakos County Director of Education, Margaret Muirigi, said this year’s candidature has recorded a notable increase compared to last year.

She noted that a total of 36,630 candidates are sitting the KJSEA in 944 centres, up from 34,810 last year, while 33,876 pupils are sitting the KPSEA in 1,122 centres, compared to 32,850 in 2025.

Muirigi was speaking to the media in Athi River, where she commended the rise in enrolment, attributing it to improved transition and retention efforts by schools and parents.

“We have seen growth in candidature in both assessments compared to last year. This is commendable and shows that more learners are being retained in school and transitioning as required,” she said.

She said all examination materials had been dispatched on time and that no hitches had been reported by Monday morning.

“Everything went as planned. All exams were delivered to our nine sub-counties on time, and the exercise has begun in earnest. So far we have not experienced any hitches,” said Muirigi.

Muirigi said contingency measures have been put in place to ensure learners who are unwell or admitted to hospital do not miss out on the assessments.

“We have candidates who are unwell and admitted in various hospitals. They have been considered and issued with examination materials at their locations to ensure a seamless examination process,” she said.

The National Assessments, which commenced today, are scheduled to end on October 30.

The Director called on Centre Managers, invigilators and security personnel to uphold integrity and strictly adhere to Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) guidelines throughout the examination period.

By Anne Kangero