The repeat presidential election will be held on October 17.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday announced the date hours after the Education Ministry requested that election be held latest by October 17 so as not to disrupt the national examinations that begin next month.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said any changes to the dates for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams would affect the academic programmes for this year and early 2018.
“If we are to disrupt the plan, it will have far-reaching repercussions on the academic sector. Frankly it will be messy,” said Dr Matiang’i.
The CS said he had engaged the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, on the phone and in writing, to consider holding the election a week before the first KCSE orals scheduled for October 23, 2017.
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“We need a week or two to prepare. We are hoping the IEBC will favourably consider our request, preferably before October 17, 2017,” said the Cabinet secretary.
The Supreme Court ordered that the repeat election be held within 60 days after it nullified the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto.
The exam calendar shows that KCPE will begin on October 31 and end on November 2. Rehearsals for the exams are expected to be held on October 30.
The KCSE orals will start on October 23, with the rest of the papers scheduled to start on November 6 and end on November 29.
Rehearsals for the KCSE will be held on November 3.
Some 1,003,556 candidates were registered for the KCPE while 615,773 were registered to sit the KCSE. There will be 28,566 examination centres for the KCPE and 9,350 for KCSE.
The Kenya National Examinations Council has stationed 419 containers in all sub-counties, which will also act as distribution centres.
Matiang’i noted that the increase in the number of containers, from 346 in 2016, will ensure that there is fast and seamless distribution of examination materials to all centres.
Other preparations include training of examiners, inspection and approval of new examination centres, and assessment of special needs candidates.
