President William Ruto has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers from the management of national examinations, declaring that the education of Kenya’s children is "not a matter of life and death" requiring paramilitary supervision.

In a major policy shift aimed at demilitarizing the education sector, the President stated that the sight of armed officers manning examination centers creates an atmosphere of fear rather than learning. The directive, issued during a security briefing at State House, signals a return to civilian oversight of the KCSE and KPSEA assessments, reversing a decade-long trend introduced to curb cheating.

"Guns Do Not Stop Cheating"

"We have turned our schools into barracks for three weeks every year," President Ruto remarked. "Integrity must be built into the system, not enforced by the barrel of a gun." The President emphasized that the police service is already stretched thin and should focus on its core mandate of protecting life and property, rather than guarding exam papers.

• Technological Solutions: The Ministry of Education has been tasked with deploying digital tracking and geofencing technologies to secure exam materials, replacing the physical security cordon.
• Teacher Responsibility: The move places the burden of integrity squarely back on center managers and supervisors. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will now bear full accountability for any malpractice.
• Police Reforms: The directive coincides with a broader package of police reforms, including the automatic promotion of constables aged 50 and above who have stagnated in one rank, a move aimed at boosting morale in the service.

A Psychological Reset

Education psychologists have long argued that the heavy security presence contributes to anxiety and poor performance among candidates. By removing the uniforms and the guns, the government hopes to create a more conducive assessment environment. However, critics warn that without the police deterrent, the "exam cartels" that plagued the sector in the past could make a comeback.

The 2026 exam cycle will be the first test of this new policy. It is a gamble on trust—a belief that Kenya’s education system has matured enough to police itself.