The Ministry of Education has confirmed that rehearsals for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations will go on as scheduled on Friday, October 17, despite the government declaring the day a national holiday in honour of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.
Senior officials at the ministry said the decision was reached to avoid disrupting the national examination calendar, which is already tightly scheduled.
“Normally, rehearsals are not interfered with and officers on the ground have been duly briefed,” a senior official at the Ministry of Education told reporters on Thursday.
The ministry emphasized that the rehearsal exercise is a critical component of exam preparation, allowing candidates and invigilators to familiarize themselves with the examination procedures and regulations provided by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
During the rehearsals, candidates are briefed on examination rules, acceptable conduct, time management, and the items permitted inside examination rooms.
Teachers, supervisors, and invigilators will also review procedures for handling examination materials, maintaining integrity, and ensuring fairness during the actual test period.
Education officials noted that similar circumstances in the past have not affected the KCSE schedule, even when public holidays were declared at short notice.
“The exam calendar must remain consistent. We’ve had national events coincide with examination dates before, and learning institutions have always managed to adjust accordingly,” another official noted.