The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will begin printing national examinations locally, ending decades of reliance on overseas companies. Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok told the National Assembly’s Education Committee that KKSh147 million has been earmarked in the 2026/27 budget to acquire a machine capable of producing optical mark recognition forms.
The move follows years of concern over the high costs and logistical challenges of printing exam papers abroad. In May 2025, thousands of candidates faced uncertainty after the National Treasury temporarily removed funding for exam registration and invigilation, sparking alarm among lawmakers over government priorities. Committee Chairperson Julius Melly questioned the seriousness of the Treasury’s decision at the time, saying, “Putting zero budget for exams, are we serious?”
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Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi later clarified that the KSh11 billion annual allocation for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams had been suspended to allow investigations into possible misuse of funds. He assured legislators that parents would not be asked to shoulder exam fees. Mbadi also challenged the need to continue printing examination materials in London, arguing that the practice imposed unnecessary costs on taxpayers.
Budget projections show that administering school exams and invigilation in 2026/27 will require KSh14.7 billion, yet only KSh9.9 billion has been proposed, leaving a deficit of KSh4.82 billion. Prof. Bitok explained that the resource requirement includes Sh3.92 billion for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), KSh9.5 billion for KCSE, KSh1.2 billion for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), and Sh144.7 million for school-based assessments.
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Earlier, Prof. Bitok warned that Basic Education faces a total shortfall of KSh111.07 billion in 2026/27, with overall funding needs across primary, junior, and secondary schools estimated at KSh245.85 billion. He told the committee that under recurrent expenditure, the department has a proposed allocation of KSh118.68 billion against a requirement of KSh216.5 billion.
By Masaki Enock
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