KNEC releases certificates for 2023 KCPE, KCSE candidates

Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has dispatched examination certificates for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates.

In a statement on X, the council announced that the certificates have been dispatched through the Sub-County Director of Education offices countrywide.

“Candidates are advised to liaise with the schools where they sat the examinations to collect the certificates,” KNEC stated.

KNEC noted that it is illegal for any school to withhold a certificate from a candidate.

“Any candidate whose certificate is withheld should report to the Sub-County Director of Education,” it advised.

On March 24, 2025, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba warned school principals against withholding school certificates of students who completed the KCPE or KCSE examination.

Ogamba said it is against Kenyan law to hold crucial documents regardless of the reasons provided by the school administration.

“Holding a student's Certificate when they have completed school on the basis of either school fees or that a student lost a book, or a student broke a window, is illegal," Ogamba said.

"I gave a directive that all the certificates that have been withheld, and some, I understand, for over 10 years, need to be released, and those principals need to get other methods of recovering whatever dues that might have arisen."

The CS noted that some certificates have been withheld by schools for over 10 years.

He proceeded to issue a 14-day order to release the withheld certificates.

The Cabinet Secretary reiterated that schools have no right to withhold certificates, describing the practice as against the law.

Ogamba's directive came as a reprieve to students and parents who may have been waiting for years for their certificates to either advance their studies or apply for jobs.

The CS said his ministry would continue to monitor schools closely to ensure students access their certificates without any preconditions.

To address the problem, the Ministry of Education is considering moving the custody of school certificates from schools to education offices.