The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has urged the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to take firm action against examination cheating, leakages and marking errors as 3,634,846 learners undertake national examinations and assessments.
In a statement dated October 25, 2026, NCCK General Secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui called on examination administrators to treat their responsibilities as a sacred duty, warning that officials involved in malpractice must face visible consequences.
The council questioned the lack of publicly available information on the punishment imposed on 78 people arrested in 2025 for allegedly circulating examination materials on social media.
NCCK said examination leakages could not occur without the involvement of officials entrusted with safeguarding the papers, urging authorities to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
“The cases of examination cheating and leakages that were reported in past years must be curtailed and all officials involved have firm and visible action taken against them,” Kinyanjui said.
The council cited Ecclesiastes 8:11 in its appeal for prompt action against offenders, warning that failure to enforce penalties could encourage further wrongdoing.
Beyond cheating, NCCK urged examination administrators to address questionable marking and grading practices, as well as errors in results reported in previous years. It said the outcomes were too important to learners’ futures to be handled casually.
The council also called for fair remuneration and improved working conditions for teachers contracted to mark the examinations, citing complaints about long working hours, poor working conditions and delayed payments.
NCCK said the results of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) would influence the pathways learners pursue after completing their respective assessments.
Alongside its call for accountability, the council extended its best wishes to all candidates, assuring them of continued prayers throughout the examination period.
“We know you have worked hard to get to this point of sitting for written examinations, and we join you in making the prayer recorded in Psalm 90:17,” the statement read.
The council prayed that God’s favour would rest upon the learners, help them recall what they had studied and enable them to achieve results that reflected their hard work.
It also prayed for the candidates’ safety, asking God to protect them from accidents and other incidents that could interfere with their ability to perform well.
NCCK urged learners to remain calm and peaceful as they sat their papers, expressing hope that they would emerge from the examination period satisfied with their efforts.
