Topic
Term dates, holidays and national exams in Kenya and East Africa
Kenyan schools open for Term One on Monday 4 January 2027 and close Term Three on 5 November, with KCSE examinations from 8 to 26 November, under the Ministry of Education's 2027 calendar dated 19 October 2026.
The Ministry of Education and KNEC had announced no date for 2026 KJSEA results or Grade 10 placement as of 30 October; last year's cycle ran from results on 11 December 2025 to reporting day on 12 January 2026.
KNEC's timetable puts the main KCSE papers from Monday 2 November to Friday 20 November; oral and practical papers began on 19 October and no results date has been announced.
The teachers’ union KUPPET directed its members on 14 October to withdraw from all exam administration, supervision and marking duties and wants at least KSh 4,000 a day for exam officials and KSh 100 for marking each paper, The Star reported on 19 October; KPSEA and KJSEA began on 26 October and KCSE main papers start on 2 November.
Kenya's Grade 6 and Grade 9 national assessments began on 26 October with 2,586,491 candidates registered; KPSEA ends on 28 October and KJSEA on 30 October, according to KNEC timetables and figures reported by The Star.
David Njengere, chief executive of the Kenya National Examinations Council, said the 2027 KCSE will be the last under 8-4-4; people with no KCPE certificate had to register for a KNEC qualifying test by 30 July 2026, The Standard and Kenyans.co.ke reported.
Kenyan schools must upload 2026 School-Based Assessment scores to the KNEC portal by 23 October, three days before KPSEA and KJSEA start on 26 October, Education News reported on 20 October 2026.
Kenya's KJSEA exam for 1,206,028 Grade 9 candidates starts on 26 October; last year, results came out on 11 December, placements on 19 December and reporting day was 12 January 2026, Capital FM and The Star reported.
Candidates sitting Kenya's KCSE must be seated at least 15 minutes before the 8am and 2pm papers and may not bring phones or watches, KNEC's instructions say, Kenyans.co.ke reported on 18 October 2026. The main written papers run from 2 to 20 November.
Kenyan teachers' union KUPPET has told members to stay off exam duty until pay is agreed, seeking at least KSh 4,000 a day for supervisors and KSh 100 a paper for marking, while school heads want urgent talks, the Daily Nation and Education News reported on 17 October.
Kenya's Term 3 ends on 23 October, Tanzania's mainland schools close on 13 November and Uganda's on 4 December; Rwanda's 2026/27 year opened on 7 September, ministries and exam boards say.
Term 3 closes on Friday 23 October. Grade 6 and Grade 9 papers start on 26 October and the main KCSE papers on 2 November, with some KCSE orals and practicals from 19 October, according to KNEC timetables.
