Kenya's government has tabled the KNEAC Bill 2025 to abolish KNEC and create the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council, introducing tough new penalties including up to 10 years in jail for school heads involved in exam malpractice.
The Kenyan government has formally proposed dissolving the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and replacing it with a new body called the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council (KNEAC).
The move is contained in the Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill 2025, which was published for public comment and parliamentary debate in late December 2025. If passed, the legislation will abolish KNEC—established in 1980 and responsible for national exams including KCPE, KCSE and teacher assessments—and transfer its functions to KNEAC.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu defended the change as necessary to modernise assessment systems and strengthen integrity. “KNEC has served the country for over four decades, but the time has come for reform,” Machogu said. “KNEAC will be more agile, better resourced and more focused on quality assurance, digital assessment tools and continuous monitoring to prevent malpractice.”
The Bill introduces significantly stricter penalties for academic dishonesty. School heads or principals convicted of forging examination documents or facilitating cheating face up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of Sh10 million, or both. Individuals involved in leaking national examination papers will face a mandatory five-year jail term without the option of a fine.
Machogu emphasised that the tougher sanctions are aimed at restoring credibility to national examinations after repeated leak scandals. “We have seen how leaks undermine public trust and disadvantage honest students,” he said. “These penalties send a clear message: anyone who jeopardises the future of our children will face the full force of the law.”
KNEAC will have broader powers than KNEC, including developing and administering all national assessments, conducting research on education quality, accrediting examination centres and coordinating competency-based assessments at primary and secondary levels. The new council will be governed by a board appointed by the Cabinet Secretary, with representation from teachers’ unions, universities, TSC, principals and parents.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions. Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Collins Oyuu welcomed the stronger anti-malpractice measures but raised concerns about the dissolution of KNEC. “We support tougher penalties because leaks hurt our learners,” Oyuu said. “But dissolving KNEC entirely raises questions about continuity, staff transitions and institutional memory. We need more consultation.”
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) expressed similar reservations. Secretary-General Akello Misori said: “We are not opposed to reform, but we must ensure that the transition does not disrupt ongoing examinations or disadvantage candidates. The government should clarify how KCSE 2026 and beyond will be handled during the changeover.”
Parents and students have largely supported the harsher penalties. “For years we have suffered because of leaks and cheating,” said Jane Wanjiku, a Nairobi parent. “If 10 years in jail will stop school heads from colluding, then we support it fully.”
Critics, including education economist Dr David Ndii, have questioned the timing and cost of creating a new agency. “Dissolving KNEC and building KNEAC from scratch will require significant resources—staff recruitment, infrastructure, system migration,” Ndii said. “The government must show how this will deliver better outcomes rather than just create another bureaucracy.”
The Bill also proposes enhanced security measures for examination materials, including real-time tracking of scripts, biometric verification for invigilators and increased use of CCTV and digital proctoring. It further gives KNEAC authority to revoke examination results and bar candidates or institutions involved in malpractice.
Public participation on the Bill is ongoing, with submissions due by mid-January 2026. The legislation is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the first quarter of 2026.
If enacted, the transition from KNEC to KNEAC could be completed by the end of 2027, with the new council fully responsible for the 2028 examination cycle.
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