The Ministry of Education in Kenya has announced a significant policy shift regarding the collection of KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) and KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) certificates.
Effective 2026, students will no longer collect their academic certificates from their former primary or secondary schools. Under the new directive, all KCPE and KCSE certificates will be collected from Sub-County education offices across the country.
This decision was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, during an appearance before the National Assembly’s Committee on Education. The CS stated that the Sub-County offices will be furnished with registers to confirm that the legitimate students pick up their certificates.
The new measure is specifically designed to end the long standing problem of school heads withholding certificates from students who have completed their education but have outstanding school fee balances.
CS Ogamba indicated that moving the collection point from principals’ and head teachers’ offices to the Sub-County level will ensure that students are not denied their crucial academic documents due to financial disputes. The move is aimed at protecting students who have been suffering or “being told to pay many things before receiving the certificate.”