The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced plans to use smart padlocks to secure examination storage containers in 2026. This move aims to prevent cheating in the upcoming national examinations and assessments, which are expected to be sat by over 3.6 million candidates. According to KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Njengere, the council piloted the use of smart padlocks in 250 containers last year and will now implement the system in all containers.
The smart padlock system will enable KNEC officials to monitor the containers from their headquarters, ensuring that examination papers are not accessed before the scheduled times. Under the system, officials will open containers at designated times, with Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) papers being accessed at 6 a.m., and centre managers collecting Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) papers at 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Despite the measures being put in place, Dr. Njengere identified mobile phones as a major challenge in preventing examination malpractice. He warned that candidates and examination officials will not be allowed to have mobile phones at examination centres during examination sessions, and any contravention of this rule will constitute a malpractice. The council will deploy 342,005 contracted professionals to administer and manage the examinations and assessments.
For the KCSE examination, KNEC will deploy 10,765 centre managers, 12,274 supervisors, 57,432 invigilators, and 21,388 security officers. Each examination centre will have at least two police officers. To reduce mix-ups and unauthorised access, centre managers will collect KCSE papers twice a day, and KNEC will place morning and afternoon papers in marked cartons.
KNEC has also taken measures to ensure the integrity of the examination process by personalising question papers with candidates' details and providing examiners with anonymised scripts. The 2026 examination and assessment season will involve 3,634,846 candidates, a 6.13 per cent increase from the 3,424,836 registered in 2025.
The council is also preparing for possible disruptions from El Nino rains, with KNEC Chairperson Prof. Julius Nyabundi urging candidates, parents, and examination officials to protect the integrity of the examinations. He warned that malpractice could undermine public confidence in the education system.
KNEC will operate a 24-hour call centre with toll-free numbers for candidates, officials, and members of the public to report incidents and seek assistance during the examination period. The 2026 cycle will continue the implementation of Competency-Based Education assessments, including School-Based Assessments in primary, junior, and senior school.
Key points
- KNEC will use smart padlocks to secure examination storage containers in 2026 to prevent cheating.
- Mobile phones are a major challenge in preventing examination malpractice, and candidates and officials will not be allowed to have them at examination centres.
- The 2026 examination and assessment season will involve 3,634,846 candidates, a 6.13 per cent increase from 2025.
