Ogamba briefs Ruto on national examinations readiness
By Joel Masibo, October 21, 2025Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has briefed President William Ruto on the ministry’s preparedness for the national examinations kick-off.
The CS, in his Tuesday, October 21, 2025, statement, said all the parties involved in the particular exercise are set to play their respective roles as candidates at different levels sit for their national papers.
Preparedness
”Today, I briefed His Excellency President Dr William Samoei Ruto at State House, Nairobi, on the country’s readiness for this year’s national examinations. The arrangements for the 2025 assessments are complete, and we are confident that all stakeholders – candidates, teachers, parents, invigilators, and supervisors – will work together to ensure a smooth and successful exercise,” Ogamba stated.
”This year marks a major milestone as the first cohort of Grade 9 learners will sit the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), alongside candidates for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA, Grade 6), Kenya Integrated Learners Education Assessment (KILEA), Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment, and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE, Form 4),” he added.
More than 996,000 candidates began their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, marking the start of one of the most important academic seasons in the country. At the same time, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) announced that the national exams will begin with oral and practical papers before the written sessions commence in early November.
According to KNEC, the (KCSE) oral examinations timetable is as follows:
Paper duration
501/3 French (Oral) — 15 minutes per candidate
502/3 German (Oral) — 15 minutes per candidate
504/3 Kenyan Sign Language (Practical Signing Skills) — 15 minutes per candidate
511/1 Music (Practical) — 15 minutes per candidate
TUESDAY 21/10/2025 TO MONDAY 27/10/2025
503/3 Arabic (Oral) — 15 minutes per candidate
Recently, CS Ogamba commended teachers for their pivotal role in the successful rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), as the country marked World Teachers’ Day on Sunday, October 5, 2025.
The national celebration, themed “Empowering Educators: Strengthening Resilience, Building Sustainability”, was held at the Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi and brought together educationists and teachers from across the country.
“I commended teachers for the remarkable work they have done in the successful rollout of Competency-Based Education. He assured them of the Government’s commitment to enhance their welfare in recognition of their profound patriotic duty of building our Nation’s human capital,” Ogamba posted on his X.