Ruto: Police to exit exam management, tests not life and death

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, President William Ruto and Lands CS Alice Wahome during an engagement forum with graduate interns under the affordable housing programme at State House, Nairobi on January 23 /PCS

President William Ruto has announced that police officers will no longer be involved in the management of national examinations, saying exams should not be treated as a matter of life-and-death.

He said examinations are part of the learning process and should not be handled as a security operation.

“Exams are part of learning. They must not be a life-and-death issue,” Ruto said.

The President said the country has successfully overseen key transitions under the new education system, including the shift from primary to junior school and this month, from junior to senior secondary school.

He said education reforms under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) seek to ease pressure on learners by shifting focus from high-stakes examinations to continuous assessment and holistic development.

Ruto said removing police from exam administration aligns with the broader reform agenda.

He also defended the government’s Sh44 billion capitation allocation to the education sector, saying funds for teaching and learning materials had been released and schools had the necessary facilities.

“With these resources available, there is no justification for children being locked out of school,” Ruto said.

“If we have provided money for teaching, paid teachers and built classrooms, there is no reason anyone should keep our children out of school.”

He reiterated his call for all school-going children to remain in class.

The President said access to education is a constitutional right and warned against administrative or financial barriers that deny learners that right.

The government remains committed to ensuring smooth transitions across all levels of learning as the new education structure takes root, Ruto said.

He raised concern over growing corruption surrounding school uniforms, warning that their rising cost is placing an unfair burden on parents.

Ruto cited cases where some schools allegedly charge as much as Sh38,000 for uniforms.

“We will look into the uniform issue. Uniforms are beginning to become another source of corruption,” he said.

In a firm directive, the President said no child should be denied access to education due to lack of a school uniform.

He allowed flexibility for learners transitioning between levels, saying students may temporarily retain their previous uniforms as parents make arrangements.

“I have directed that no child will be kept out of class because of uniform. Even if they have a junior school uniform, they can report to secondary school with it as they wait for parents to organise themselves,” he said.

The Head of State said the government will work closely with education partners to remove unnecessary obstacles to schooling and warned against introduction of extra requirements that make education unaffordable or inaccessible.