Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) CEO Dr David Njeng’ere has assured the court that 303 candidates at Gatoto School will sit their KPSEA and KJSEA examinations despite an ongoing dispute over the school’s management and examination centre manager.
Dr Njeng’ere told the court that the examination process was already at an advanced stage, with registration having opened on February 16, 2026 and closed on March 31, 2026. He explained that after registration, KNEC generated a nominal roll containing details of every candidate. The candidates were required to sign against their names to confirm their assessment numbers, names, gender, nationality, subjects and disability status.
The centre manager was then required to sign the nominal roll and confirm that the candidates were bona fide learners at the school.
“The centre manager is very critical,” Njeng’ere told the court, explaining that the centre manager is responsible for confirming the identity of candidates before handing them over to examination supervisors. He said the centre manager’s role is also an important safeguard against impersonation because KNEC does not personally know every candidate registered for the examination.
Njeng’ere told the court that Gatoto School’s nominal roll identifies Margaret Kemani Kabugi as the centre manager and contains her declaration confirming that the learners were properly registered and that their details were accurate.
The declaration, read before the court, states that all eligible candidates were registered before the March 31 deadline and that there were no ghost candidates. It also confirms the accuracy of information including names, gender, subjects, special needs and parents’ or guardians’ details. The CEO said the candidate details could not simply be changed at this stage.
Asked whether details appearing on the Gatoto School examination records could be altered, Njeng’ere said such a move would amount to tampering with examination records. “No, you cannot change any details here. Actually, it is against the law because that would be tampering with the examination records,” he said.
He further explained why changing the centre manager shortly before the examinations could create complications, saying the incoming manager would have to verify and attest to details already captured during the registration process. “It’s not possible because this is already passed because this was in March 31st,” Njeng’ere said.
The court heard that examination materials for the candidates had already been printed and were being held at KNEC’s warehouse ahead of dispatch to distribution centres. “All these materials have already been printed. They are in our warehouse and they are going to be dispatched next week to the distribution centres,” he said.
Njeng’ere also explained how candidates’ examination answer sheets are prepared. He said Grade Six and Grade Nine assessments use optical mark readers, with each candidate receiving a personalised answer sheet. “The answer sheet comes with the name of the candidate, their assessment number, the school where they are going to sit in the exam, the code of that school, so that when we are marking, we are able to connect both the mark sheet and the candidate,” he said.
The first examination is scheduled for October 26, with KNEC preparations and briefings already underway.
The court was also told that KNEC had written to the Teachers Service Commission seeking identification of persons who would take charge of examination centres. Njeng’ere said the appointment and vetting of centre managers, supervisors and invigilators is handled by the Teachers Service Commission because it is the body that knows the registered teachers. He said the centre manager must be able to identify the candidates registered at the school, making the position important in preventing examination impersonation.
The dispute over the centre manager was also raised during cross-examination of the KNEC Regional Director by lawyer Danstan Omari. Omari questioned the Regional Director on whether the new Gatoto management had formally applied for the transfer of the relevant KNEC and school credentials.
The Regional Director told the court that the communication received from Gatoto had sought the handover or transfer of the credentials, but the regional office did not have the authority to effect such a transfer. He said the appropriate applications would have to follow the prescribed procedure through the relevant education authorities.
The Regional Director also told the court that relations between education officials and the new Gatoto management had been strained. “What I can say about them is they are very kind of hostile to us,” he said. He alleged that even phone calls from the new management had carried a tone of “harassment and intimidation”, making it difficult for the parties to sit down and consult.
Omari pressed him on whether the Ministry could nevertheless engage the new management in the best interests of the children. The Regional Director said it remained possible to work together despite the difficulties. “For the interest of the learner we are ready to engage, we are ready to consult, we are ready to cooperate,” he told the court.
The proceedings also considered the role of teachers who have been handling the candidates at Gatoto School.
The former headteacher proposed that she and a number of teachers be allowed to remain temporarily at the school during the examination period despite the existence of a new board of directors. The proposal was presented as a temporary arrangement intended to ensure continuity for the candidates as they prepare for and sit their examinations.
The parties discussed having a smaller number of the former teachers work alongside officials overseeing the examination process. The teachers were said to have familiarity with the candidates, their classes and subjects, while the KNEC officials would retain responsibility for the regulatory and examination aspects.
The former headteacher also expressed confidence in the candidates and promised that Gatoto School would aim at “exceeding expectations” in the KPSEA and KJSEA examinations. Njeng’ere urged the parties to keep the interests of the 303 candidates at the centre of the dispute. “These are children, 303 children,” he said, urging that the dispute should not create unnecessary anxiety among the candidates.
He assured the court that KNEC remained committed to administering the examinations. “The children must sit their exams,” Njeng’ere said. He also urged against sensationalising the dispute, warning that unnecessary publicity could make the candidates anxious.
At the close of the proceedings, the parties were directed to prepare and file a consent on the conduct of the examination process. The matter will be mentioned on September 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. virtually for purposes of recording the consent.
