The Ministry of Education has confirmed that the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) rehearsals will proceed as planned on Friday, October 17 — despite the government declaring the day a public holiday in honour of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The rehearsals, a crucial part of the national exam calendar, will prepare candidates for the KCSE examinations set to begin on Tuesday, October 21.
A senior ministry official, speaking to The Daily Nation, said the exercise could not be postponed as it would disrupt the tightly scheduled exam timetable.
“Normally, rehearsals are not interfered with, and officers on the ground have been duly briefed,” the official said.
The announcement came amid growing uncertainty among teachers, parents, and students following Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s declaration of Friday as a public holiday. The decision was made in recognition of Raila Odinga’s contribution to the country, following his death on Wednesday morning in India after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Education authorities stressed that schools and examination centres had been instructed to proceed with preparations as normal.
Exam Calendar Remains Unchanged
The 2025 KCSE exams will officially begin on November 3 and conclude on November 21, running over an 18-day period.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) for Grade 6 pupils will take place between October 27 and October 30. Other national assessments — including the Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) for learners with special needs, the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) — are scheduled to run from October 27 to November 6.
Schools are expected to close for the December holidays on October 24, reopening on January 5, 2026.
The Ministry’s firm stance underscores its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the exam schedule, even as the nation continues to mourn one of its most prominent political figures.