HEADLINE: NO PHONES ALLOWED! OGAMBA IMPOSES TOUGH KCSE EXAM RULES

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has issued a stern warning to examination officials against possessing or using mobile phones during the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, in a fresh crackdown on examination malpractice.

The directive requires all personnel within examination centres, including supervisors, invigilators, security officers, cooks, watchmen and clerical staff, to surrender their mobile phones to examination supervisors for safe custody during examination sessions.

Speaking on Monday, November 2, as candidates commenced their main written examinations, Ogamba warned that anyone found violating the regulations would face legal consequences.

The move is aimed at sealing loopholes that could facilitate examination paper leakages, impersonation and collusion, with mobile phones identified as a major avenue through which examination irregularities can occur.

According to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), additional security measures have also been introduced, including smart electronic padlocks on examination containers, colour-coded examination packaging and enhanced surveillance to safeguard examination materials.

A total of 1,048,355 candidates have registered for this year's KCSE examinations, marking the first time the candidature has surpassed the one-million mark, representing a 5.27 per cent increase from last year's 995,860 candidates.

The examinations are being administered in more than 10,000 centres countrywide and are scheduled to run until November 20, 2026.

The government has maintained that strict adherence to examination regulations is necessary to protect the credibility of the national examinations and ensure candidates are assessed fairly.