188,979 personnel on call as 2.58m KPSEA, KJSEA candidates begin tests
Kenya has deployed nearly 189,000 personnel to oversee national assessments for over 2.58 million Grade 6 and Grade 9 students. The Kenya National Examinations Council has implemented enhanced security measures, including smart padlocks on storage containers, to ensure the integrity of the testing process.
Why it matters
The large-scale administration of national exams is a critical logistical operation for the education system, impacting millions of students' academic progression.
Education CS Julius Ogamba (R) supervises KPSEA and KJSEA national exams distribution at Makindu Deputy County Commissioner's office in Makueni county on October 26, 2026. Nearly 189,000 personnel have been contracted to oversee the national assessments for Grade 6 and Grade 9 learners, which begin on Monday, October 26, with more than 2.58 million candidates expected to sit the tests.
The team comprises supervisors, invigilators and drivers deployed to administer the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
KPSEA will run until Wednesday, October 28, while KJSEA will end on Friday, October 30.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has deployed 27,271 supervisors for KPSEA and 24,860 for KJSEA, alongside 130,633 invigilators for both assessments, bringing the total number of personnel to 188,979.
The council has also contracted 6,215 drivers to support the administration of the two assessments.
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