State plans to move custody of KCSE certificates from schools

The government's plan to change how KCSE certificates are issued has reignited debate over school principals' continued refusal to release the documents.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has proposed that certificates be collected from sub-county education offices instead of schools, a move aimed at curbing school heads' defiance of directives.

MPs argue that thousands of former students are unable to progress in life because their certificates remain in schools due to unpaid fees.

Some have been forced into low-income jobs or casual labour, unable to pursue higher education or formal employment.

While Ogamba recently directed schools to release all withheld certificates, lawmakers remain skeptical about enforcement.

“What will make this directive different from past ones that were never enforced?” asked Tinderet MP Julius Melly, who chairs the Education Committee.

School principals maintain that they are owed over Sh20 billion in unpaid fees, making it difficult to release certificates without financial consequences.

The issue is not new; in 2019, then-Education CS George Magoha proposed that only students genuinely unable to pay should have their certificates released unconditionally.

Those who could pay were expected to do so, and Magoha even suggested listing defaulters with Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs), an idea MPs opposed.

It remains unclear if Ogamba’s proposed changes will apply to students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), who will receive certificates after completing junior and senior secondary levels.

With only three more KCSE cohorts under the 8-4-4 system, any policy shift will primarily affect these candidates.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia has also previously instructed school heads to release the certificates, but compliance has been inconsistent.

Lawmakers are now pushing for a firm solution that will ensure students receive their academic documents without obstacles.