- KNEC has issued a tender inviting contractors to supply and deliver examination storage containers ahead of the October 2026 national examinations.
- The council has already opened applications for teachers and tutors to train as examiners for the KJSEA and KCSE assessments.
- The procurement comes amid warnings from teachers’ unions of a possible boycott over unpaid dues from the 2025 examination cycle, with the Basic Education PS assuring payments would begin on August 6.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has stepped up preparations for the 2026 national examinations by seeking contractors to supply and deliver examination storage containers and undertake related repairs, in a move aimed at strengthening the secure handling and storage of examination materials ahead of the October tests.
In a tender notice issued on Tuesday, August 11, KNEC invited eligible bidders to submit sealed offers for the supply and delivery of examination storage containers and associated repair services.,
“KNEC invites sealed bids from eligible Bidders for the Tenders below: Supply and delivery of Examination Storage Containers and related repair services,” the notice stated.
The council said the procurement is part of its preparations to ensure adequate facilities are available for the safe storage and management of examination materials during the 2026 examination cycle.
The latest move comes about a month after KNEC opened applications for teachers and tutors interested in training to become examiners for the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
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The examiner training programme was scheduled to take place between July and August through online learning, followed by residential training for shortlisted candidates.
KNEC targeted examiners for various KJSEA subjects, including English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Agriculture, Social Studies, Christian Religious Education, Creative Arts and Sports, Pre-Technical Studies and Special Needs Education.
For KCSE, the training covered subjects such as Kiswahili, Biology Practical, Islamic Religious Education, Computer Studies, French, German, Arabic and several Special Needs Education papers.
Those who successfully complete the training are expected to join KNEC’s pool of examiners who will be engaged in marking the 2026 national examinations, which are scheduled to begin in October.
The latest procurement comes amid concerns over preparations for the examinations following warnings by teachers’ unions that educators could boycott the 2026 examination cycle if payments owed to personnel involved in the 2025 national examinations remain unsettled.
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Basic Education Principal Secretary, John Ololtuaac, last week assured teachers that the outstanding payments would be addressed when he appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education.
Ololtuaa said the payments were scheduled to begin on August 6, although there has been no confirmation that all outstanding payments have been settled.
KNEC’s decision to procure additional storage containers therefore marks another step in preparations for the examinations, with the council seeking to ensure examination materials are securely stored and managed before, during and after the national examination period.
By Bernard Magada
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