A record 3.5 million candidates will sit for national examinations slated to start later this month, according to a dispatch from yesterday’s Cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi.

The candidates will sit three different exams; the Grade Six national assessment, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).

The exams come against the background of the ongoing debate on whether Grade Six candidates should proceed to secondary schools in January or whether they should be domiciled in primary schools.

A team set up by the president has been collecting views from the public and other stakeholders on the best way for the pioneer Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) class should transition to Grade Seven. The team is expected to table its report before the end of the year.

So far, its members have visited 37 counties to collect views on how to reform the education sector.

“Cabinet noted that on receipt of the first interim report of the Presidential Working Party, which cover the curriculum assessment and quality assurance, his excellency the President will offer guidance to the nation on the vesting of 3.5 million candidates to sit exams Tests come against the background of the ongoing debate on whether Grade Six candidates should proceed to secondary schools in January or whether they should be domiciled in primary schools the Junior Secondary (being Grade 7-8),” the Cabinet dispatch said.

The Presidential Working party has until November 24 to complete its first report.

In another development, the Cabinet also approved the establishment of the Kabonyo Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Training Centre in Kisumu at a cost of Sh1 billion. The centre is expected to lead in research, training and innovation in the best practices in fisheries.

“It will also involve adoption, domestication and selective breeding of Nile Perch, Common Carp, Milk Fish, Tilapia and Catfish to increase the numbers available to small and large-scale fish farmers,” the dispatch said.

Besides education, the Cabinet was also appraised on the ongoing drought situation, which has affected 23 counties and over five million Kenyans. It also discussed interventions such as increasing relief food and water supplies to the most affected areas and sinking boreholes among other measures.

As part of its strategy to bring down the cost of living, the Cabinet approved a decision to strengthen the Kenya National Trading Corporation to stabilise the cost of commodities by working with institutions like the National Cereals and Produce Board to create a strategic grain reserve and put in place programmes for commodity financing and trade.

The meeting also approved December 1 as the official date for the launch of the Hustler Fund, which will benefit informal and unstructured business enterprises.

“The groundbreaking financial products to be progressively launched under the Fund will include personal loans, microloans, SME loans and start-up loans,” the dispatch sent to media houses late yesterday said.

In a rare first in Kenya’s history, yesterday’s meeting was preceded by a State reception in honour of members of the Cabinet of the fourth administration whose tenure ended in August. After the Cabinet meeting, the outgoing CSs were also hosted a State luncheon.