Government Assures KCSE Exams Will Be Free Amid Budget Row
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has assured parents they won’t pay for KCSE exams despite budget concerns. Talks are ongoing between the Treasury and KNEC to resolve funding gaps. MPs had earlier raised alarm over the lack of exam funding in the 2025/26 budget.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has moved to reassure parents that their children will not be required to pay to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. This comes amid growing concern over budget shortfalls affecting the education sector.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Mwaura affirmed that discussions were ongoing between the National Treasury and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to address the financial gaps. “The Government affirms that no parent will be required to pay KCSE exam fees,” the statement read, urging calm among parents and stakeholders.
This reassurance follows alarm raised by Members of Parliament after the 2025/26 national budget presented no allocation for exam preparation and invigilation. Education Committee Chair Julius Melly questioned why such a critical and recurring exercise had been omitted from the financial plan, calling it a “glaring oversight.”
Other lawmakers, including Narok Woman Rep Rebecca Tonke and Nyamira MP Jerusha Momanyi, echoed the concerns, demanding accountability and clarity from education officials. Their frustration intensified when Principal Secretary Julius Bitok failed to provide explanations for the budgetary exclusion of KCSE, KEPSEA, and JSS exams.
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