Kenya's Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has cautioned school heads against preventing students from sitting national examinations due to funding shortages. Speaking in Kibra on October 27, 2025, Bitok confirmed that the government has released all necessary funds, including capitation, to facilitate the ongoing exams. This assurance comes amid prior concerns from school principals about delayed payments.
On Monday, October 27, 2025, during the official opening of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) exams in Kibra, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok addressed concerns raised by school heads nationwide. For months, principals had warned that insufficient capitation funds could hinder the administration of national examinations to learners.
Bitok emphasized that the government has disbursed all required funds, including additional allocations for exam administration, ensuring no barriers to student participation. "The government has given all the money to cater for all the candidates, and nobody should have any excuse for why they should not be facilitated to do these examinations," he stated. He added, "We have sent capitation to all our schools, and so there is no reason whatsoever for a school to complain that they have not received the money, particularly those who have complied with the school data verification exercise."
The Ministry of Education had prioritized a verification process to confirm legitimate schools and students before releasing funds, uncovering over 50,000 ghost students in secondary schools. This step aimed to prevent misuse of public resources.
The KPSEA runs from October 27 to 30, targeting primary school leavers. The Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) for learners with special needs is scheduled from October 27 to 31. Meanwhile, KJSEA and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will span nine days, from October 27 to November 6. The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) is in its second week.
Bitok urged teachers and invigilators to conduct the exams professionally: "I call upon all the teachers and invigilators to ensure that they administer these examinations professionally. We don't expect anything short of professional administration of the 2025 KPSEA, KJSEA, and KCSE." He also assured that systems are in place for a smooth transition for students post-examinations.