- TSC has begun collecting teacher information through the CP2 system ahead of deploying Supervisors, Invigilators and Centre Managers for the 2026 national examinations.
- The Commission has enforced a three-year rule barring teachers from supervising at schools where they previously worked, alongside mandatory conflict-of-interest declarations.
- MoE has issued a separate directive restricting school activities during the Third Term as KCSE, KJSEA, KILEA, KPLEA and KPSEA assessments approach in October.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has kicked off the process of deploying teachers for the 2026 national examinations and assessments, setting in motion an operation that will determine who supervises, invigilates and manages examination centres across the country.
Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) have already begun collecting teacher information from Heads of Institutions as education authorities prepare for the October to November examination season. The exercise is being coordinated through the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) CP2 online deployment system, with Sub-County Directors expected to ensure that details of eligible teachers are captured and submitted within the prescribed timelines.
The preparations come as the Ministry of Education simultaneously tightens control of school activities during the Third Term, forming a coordinated national strategy aimed at protecting candidates from disruptions and strengthening examination security.
CP2 System Takes Control of Teacher Deployment
The CP2 system is at the centre of this year’s deployment exercise. CSOs are collecting information on teachers who meet the requirements for examination duties, while Heads of Institutions are expected to provide accurate and verifiable staff details. This information will determine which teachers are eligible for deployment as Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators. Sub-County Directors have until September 26, 2026, to ensure the required nominee information is entered into the system.
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One of the most significant safeguards in the deployment system is the restriction barring Supervisors and Invigilators from serving at schools where they have worked during the previous three years. The CP2 system is designed to identify previous postings and prevent such teachers from being assigned to the same institutions, reducing familiarity between examination officials, candidates and school staff. Teachers deployed to examination centres will also be required to sign conflict-of-interest declarations, and any official with a personal interest in a centre, including having a relative sitting an examination there, will be required to declare the interest and be reassigned.
New Staffing Formula for Exam Centres
The 2026 deployment exercise comes with defined staffing ratios. Generally, examination centres will have one Supervisor for every 200 candidates, one Invigilator for every 20 candidates, and one Invigilator for every 10 learners under the Stage-Based Pathway arrangements. Centres hosting visually impaired candidates who use Braille must have at least one Invigilator trained in Braille. KILEA and KPLEA will operate differently from other national assessments, requiring no Centre Managers or Supervisors, with subject teachers expected to undertake invigilation.
Qualifications Will Determine Who Gets Deployed
Not every teacher will automatically qualify for examination duties. For KCSE, Supervisors are expected to be secondary school teachers with at least a Diploma in Education, with preference given to senior teachers and heads of department, while KCSE Invigilators are expected to be primary school teachers with a minimum of three years’ teaching experience. For KJSEA, Supervisors may be selected from secondary school teachers with a Diploma in Education and above, as well as experienced primary and junior school teachers with previous national examination supervision experience, and KJSEA Invigilators are also expected to have at least three years of primary teaching experience. For KPSEA, Supervisors must be primary school teachers with at least three years’ experience and previous national examination invigilation experience.
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KCSE Supervisors Face Weekly Rotation
Another important feature of the 2026 arrangements is the weekly rotation of KCSE Supervisors. Supervisors completing their assignments will be required to prepare written handover notes for those taking over, an arrangement intended to strengthen accountability and ensure continuity during the KCSE examination period, which will run for several weeks. Centre Managers will also be required to record attendance daily through CP2, beginning with the examination rehearsal, with attendance records later printed, signed, stamped and submitted to KNEC.
October Brings Five National Assessment Programmes
The deployment comes ahead of one of the busiest periods in Kenya’s education calendar. The KCSE rehearsal is scheduled for October 16, followed by the main examination from October 19 to November 20, 2026. The other national assessments will largely overlap during the final week of October: KJSEA from October 26 to 30, KILEA from October 26 to 30, KPLEA from October 26 to 29, and KPSEA from October 26 to 28. The four junior and primary-level assessments will have a common rehearsal date of October 23.
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MoE Tightens School Activities as Exams Near
The teacher deployment exercise is taking place alongside a separate Ministry of Education directive seeking to limit activities that could distract candidates during the Third Term and examination period. The directive, issued on September 3, 2026, instructs schools to exercise greater control over co-curricular, social and external activities. Prayer sessions involving parents, outsiders and other external visitors will not be allowed for candidates during the restricted period, although internal prayer and worship activities conducted by school chaplains and teachers may continue. Annual General Meetings, prize-giving ceremonies, thanksgiving events and dedicated candidate prayer days are expected to be held during the First or Second Term rather than immediately before examinations. Education officials have also been directed to maintain close oversight of schools during the examination period, with annual leave for relevant officers cancelled during the critical assessment window.
The new arrangements also clarify the different responsibilities of TSC and KNEC. TSC’s role is to provide, identify and facilitate the deployment of qualified teachers, using its administrative structures and teacher records to support the process. KNEC is responsible for the administration and management of national examinations and assessments, including examination-centre operations and the CP2 deployment platform. TSC provides the pool of qualified teachers, while KNEC’s examination systems and requirements determine how personnel are assigned and monitored.
With the September 26 deadline approaching and the first KCSE rehearsal only weeks away, schools are now under pressure to provide accurate teacher information ahead of Kenya’s 2026 national examination season.
By Hillary Muhalya
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