Premium
Marakwet landslide: State plans to airlift candidates sitting national exams
Education CS Julius Ogamba speaks to journalists at Jogoo House, Nairobi on on October 31, 2025.
The government has announced plans to evacuate hundreds of Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam candidates trapped in parts of Elgeyo Marakwet following days of heavy rainfall and mudslides that have claimed at least 21 lives.
Education officials, alongside disaster management teams, are currently assessing the safety of schools in the affected regions to ensure no candidate misses the national tests scheduled for Monday.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba assured parents that all affected candidates will be facilitated to sit for their national tests.
“It is unfortunate about the disaster that happened last night—mudslides that have taken lives and injured others. But the government, under the disaster management system and using all the multi-agencies, has moved there. We also have our teams on the ground to find out which schools have been affected. If there are, we will make arrangements to ensure students from that area do not miss exams on Monday,” he said.
Speaking in Mombasa during a sports activity for TVETs, the CS said the government is making alternative arrangements.
“The team will give us a report later in the day to find out whether there are schools affected, how many students are affected, then we will put in place mechanisms to ensure that next week they are able to undertake the examinations and assessments,” he added.
Mr Ogamba said the arrangements include moving the candidates from the affected schools to safer schools.
“Airlifting them and ensuring that we have enough alternative transport logistics,” added the CS.
The CS said the government will ensure that no child misses the national examinations because of the tragedy.
Mr Ogamba said the focus remains on ensuring candidates in disaster-prone areas are safe, calm, and adequately supported to complete their assessments and exams without disruption.
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) was completed last week.
However, the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) will conclude this week, paving the way for the first cohort of Competency-Based Education learners to join senior school in 2026.
“We successfully completed the administration of KPSEA. Next week, we will conclude the administration of the first-ever KJSEA, which will pave the way for the admission of the first cohort of Competency-Based Education learners to Senior School next year,” he said.
Mr Ogamba assured Kenyans that the Ministry of Education will work round the clock to ensure that results are released in good time to give parents and guardians adequate time to prepare for their children’s transition to the next levels under the 100 percent transition policy.
“Additionally, the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination will be concluded later next month, with the results expected to be released in January 2026. In total, 3.4 million candidates are sitting the various national assessments and examinations in our country this year,” said Mr Ogamba.
He said the results will be released in good time to give parents and guardians adequate time to prepare for their children’s transition.
