The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced a fresh recruitment drive for teachers and tutors to train as examiners for the 2026 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), just days after the government cleared long-overdue payments owed to examiners who marked last year's national examinations.
In a notice issued on Friday, July 10, KNEC invited qualified teachers to apply for the examiner training programme, which will be conducted between July and August through a blended model combining online learning with a residential physical session.
"KNEC is inviting applications from qualified teachers and tutors to train as examiners for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination," the council stated.
The announcement signals the start of preparations for the 2026 national examinations as the council seeks to expand its pool of trained examiners across several subjects.
Requirements
Teachers who are shortlisted for the programme will be required to pay a Ksh10,500 training fee after receiving notification through SMS and the KNEC examiners' application portal. The council clarified that only shortlisted applicants would be expected to make the payment.
According to KNEC, the training will initially be conducted online before participants proceed to a residential venue, which will be communicated to successful applicants at a later date. Teachers who complete the programme will subsequently be considered for recruitment to mark KJSEA and KCSE examination papers, depending on KNEC's staffing requirements for each subject.
For KJSEA, KNEC is seeking examiners in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Agriculture, Social Studies, Christian Religious Education, Creative Arts and Sports, Pre-Technical Studies and several Special Needs Education (SNE) papers.
The council is also recruiting KCSE examiners in subjects including Kiswahili, Biology Practical, Islamic Religious Education, Computer Studies, French, German and Arabic, alongside a number of Special Needs Education papers covering various secondary school subjects.
To qualify for the training, applicants must be practising teachers or tutors in the relevant subject areas and must be registered or employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) or the Public Service Commission. They are also required to possess at least a diploma in education and have a minimum of three years' teaching experience.
Additionally, KNEC said applicants must be recommended by their head of institution, be aged 50 years or below and should not be under interdiction or facing disciplinary action from either the TSC or their employer.
How To Apply
Interested teachers have been directed to submit their applications through the KNEC Examiners' Portal by logging into their CP2 accounts. Those without CP2 accounts are required to create new accounts before selecting the available training vacancies.
The council further emphasised that only applicants who meet all the eligibility requirements and submit the necessary documents will be shortlisted, adding that successful candidates will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
The recruitment comes only days after the government released Ksh1.5 billion to settle outstanding payments owed to teachers who marked the 2025 KCSE and KJSEA examinations, ending months of uncertainty over the delayed allowances.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed that the funds had been disbursed directly to examiners' bank accounts, bringing relief to thousands of teachers who had been waiting for their payments.
The release of the funds was widely seen as a crucial step in restoring confidence among examiners ahead of preparations for the 2026 examination cycle, with concerns having been raised over the prolonged delay in settling the allowances.
With recruitment now underway and last year's examiners finally paid, KNEC has shifted its focus to building a new pool of qualified examiners to support the administration and marking of the 2026 KJSEA and KCSE examinations, which remain among the country's most important national assessments.
