Thousands of students who sat the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination can now access their certificates online after the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) expanded its electronic certificate platform.

The move marks another step in the government's wider digital transformation agenda, allowing candidates to retrieve official academic credentials without relying solely on physical documents.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, August 5, KNEC announced that the service is now available to 2025 KCSE candidates and has also been extended to cover certificates stored in its database from 1989 to 2025.

According to the council, the electronic certificate carries the same legal recognition as the printed version and can be used for university admissions, TVET applications, employment, scholarships, internships and international studies.

"The e-certificate is issued directly by KNEC, is legally valid and officially recognised. It is instantly verifiable by any organisation, never expires and is secured using blockchain technology," the council said.

How candidates can download the certificate

Applicants must first create an account on the KNEC e-Certificate portal before verifying their email address using a one-time password (OTP).

They will then be required to confirm their identity using their National Identity Card details and provide their KCSE index number, examination year and examination type.

Once the system displays the candidate's details—including their name, school and grade—they can proceed to pay the KSh1,500 processing fee through the eCitizen platform. After payment is confirmed, the digital certificate becomes available for download and is also sent to the candidate's registered email address.

The certificate remains stored on the user's online dashboard, allowing future access whenever needed.

Easier verification for employers and institutions

The expanded platform is expected to simplify certificate verification for employers, universities and other institutions, which have increasingly faced challenges linked to forged academic documents.

Because the digital certificates can be verified instantly through KNEC's system, organisations will be able to confirm their authenticity more quickly, reducing the time previously required to validate paper certificates.

The initiative is also expected to benefit thousands of former candidates who misplaced or lost their certificates, eliminating lengthy replacement procedures and reducing the need to travel to access academic records.

For many students, particularly those applying for jobs or further studies, the online service offers a faster and more secure way to access one of their most important academic documents.