The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates, dispatching them to schools nationwide in a move critical for thousands of graduates seeking to join universities and the job market.

This annual exercise unlocks the future for last year's candidates, as the official certificate is a mandatory document for university admission and formal employment. The release allows graduates to finally replace their provisional result slips with the certified document, a crucial step in securing their professional and academic paths.

A Firm Stance on Withholding Certificates

In a stern notice accompanying the release, KNEC reiterated that withholding certificates is illegal. The council emphasized that schools have no legal authority to retain the documents as leverage for unpaid fees or any other outstanding dues. This has been a persistent issue, with many schools historically denying students their certificates, thereby hindering their progress after secondary education.

"It is illegal to withhold a certificate from a candidate," KNEC stated in a public notice on Thursday. The council has directed any student who faces this challenge to immediately report the incident to their local Sub-County Director of Education for intervention.

New Collection System on the Horizon

The government is actively working on a permanent solution to this problem. According to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, plans are underway to shift the collection point for certificates from schools to the Sub-County Directors of Education offices starting from 2026. This policy change aims to completely remove the power of schools to hold certificates hostage.

For now, the process remains unchanged:

• Certificates have been sent to Sub-County Director of Education offices across the country.
• School principals or their authorized representatives are to collect the documents from these offices.
• Candidates are then required to collect their individual certificates from the schools where they sat for the examination.

The Ministry of Education has previously warned that headteachers who defy the directive to release certificates could face legal action, including potential jail time. This underscores the government's commitment to ensuring every student has access to the academic credentials they have rightfully earned.