The government is considering transferring the issuance of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates from schools to sub-county directors of education offices.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba told Members of Parliament (MPs) that the proposal aims to curb the persistent practice of schools withholding certificates, despite existing directives prohibiting the practice.
The move comes amid mounting pressure from MPs urging the government to take action against school heads who continue to retain certificates over unpaid school fees.
MPs raised concerns that thousands of former students are unable to secure employment or pursue further education due to their certificates being withheld. According to members of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, many of these individuals are forced into low-paying jobs that do not require formal qualifications.
While Ogamba recently directed schools to release all withheld certificates unconditionally, legislators questioned the effectiveness of the order, pointing out that similar directives issued in the past had largely been ignored.
Tinderet MP Julius Melly, who chairs the committee, challenged the Education CS to clarify how this directive would be enforced differently, given previous failures.
On the other hand, school principals argue that institutions are owed over Ksh 20 billion in unpaid school fees, making it financially challenging to release the documents without compensation.
In 2019, former Education CS George Magoha had suggested a selective approach—allowing only students who were genuinely unable to pay to access their certificates, while those who could settle their arrears would be required to do so. He even proposed listing defaulters with Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs), a move that was criticized as punitive by lawmakers at the time.
However, Ogamba did not clarify whether the proposed shift in certificate issuance would also apply to students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), who will receive certificates upon completing junior secondary (Grade 9) and senior secondary (Grade 12).
With only three more cohorts set to sit for KCSE before the complete transition to the CBC system, any policy change would primarily affect the remaining groups of 8-4-4 candidates.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Officer, Nancy Macharia, has also previously instructed school heads to release all withheld certificates.
