Parents of KCSE & KCPE Students Take a Hit Following the High Court's Verdict
The Nairobi High Court grants the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) permission to consolidate exam centers with fewer than 30 candidates.
Leah Mukangai 
Parents of students taking the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) or Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams in March 2022 would have to dig deeper into their wallets to help their children. They will now be responsible for additional transportation charges as a result of concerns about their children's safety.
Parents' petition was denied by Justice Anthony Mrima because the petitioner failed to contest a circular published in July 2021.
He went on to say that even though the court had blocked three previous circulars published in May and June, the July circular was admissible because it included the required parameters for joint exam hosting.
"The July circular was to give fresh instructions on the joint hosting of examination centres. It is a stand-alone communication and it speaks clearly on what the addresses are to do," Justice Anthony Mrima declared.
"Quashing the circulars, in the unique circumstances of this case, will be an exercise in futility. It will yield to nothing as the joint hosting of the examination centres will still be undertaken on the basis of the July circular. This court declines that invitation," he stated.
Following KNEC's announcement, a petition was filed in the High Court. The petitioner claimed that increasing living costs were burdening parents and that merging exam centers would affect children from unmarginalized areas.
The exam centers merging, according to KNEC, will improve applicant and examiner security and safety, address transportation issues, reduce rising administration expenses, and safeguard the integrity of examinations.
David Wanyeki Kago, the petitioner, had challenged KNEC, claiming that there was no public engagement and that parents were not contacted before the directive was issued in July.
