14 Oct 2025
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When David Njengere, Chief Executive Officer of KNEC signed a circular on Monday, May 12, 2025, Kenyan schools got a clear warning: miss the Grade 9 KJSEA project deadline and pay Ksh 500 per learner.
Background: CBC, KJSEA and the CBA Portal
The Competency‑Based Curriculum (CBC) reshaped Kenya’s schooling system in 2017, swapping rote exams for performance‑based tasks. Central to the junior secondary phase is the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), an national assessmentKenya that runs from October 27 to November 6, 2025 for the pioneer CBC cohorts.
Since the rollout, the Ministry of Education has pushed scores onto the Competency‑Based Assessment (CBA) portal (cba.knec.ac.ke). The portal now hosts projects for Grades 3, 7, 8 and the crucial Grade 9 KJSEA tasks – Creative Arts & Sports, Pre‑Technical Studies and Agriculture.
Deadline Details and Penalty Structure
- Grades 3, 7 and 8 project scores must be uploaded by midnight, Thursday, July 31, 2025.
- Grade 9 KJSEA project scores have a final cut‑off on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
- Late uploads attract a flat Ksh 500 fine per candidate – that’s roughly $3.30 per student.
- With about two million learners registered by March 2025, the potential total fines could top Ksh 1 billion.
All 26,399 public and private schools across Kenya’s 47 counties are on the hook. No exemptions for remote schools, even though internet glitches can stall uploads.
Reactions from Schools and Officials
“We understand the need for timeliness, but the bandwidth in our rural district is spotty,” said Grace Mwangi, principal of Nyandarua Secondary School. “If we get fined, that money would have gone to teachers’ training.”
On the other side, a spokesperson for KNEC, who asked to remain unnamed, noted, “The penalty isn’t punitive; it’s a deterrent to ensure national moderation can happen without last‑minute chaos.” The council added that the fines will be collected through the existing school fee channels, simplifying administration.
Meanwhile, the County Directors of Education have rolled out internal check‑lists, urging schools to set internal deadlines at least three days before the official cut‑off.
Potential Impact on Students and Rural Schools
For students, the stakes are surprisingly high. A delayed upload could mean their project scores never make it into the national moderation pool, potentially affecting final grades. That, in turn, could influence placement into secondary schools or scholarship eligibility.
Rural districts worry about the digital divide. According to a 2024 UNICEF report, 38 % of Kenyan schools still lack reliable broadband. If a school can’t connect on August 15, the Ksh 500 fine per pupil could quickly become a crippling expense.
Turns out, some NGOs are stepping in. The Education Access Trust announced a pilot program to provide portable Wi‑Fi hubs to 150 schools in the Rift Valley, aiming to cut down late uploads by 30 %.
What Comes Next? Monitoring and Enforcement
KNEC says the portal will generate automated alerts for any school that crosses the August 30 deadline. Those alerts trigger a verification team that will contact the school, issue a fine notice, and update the Ministry’s financial ledger within 48 hours.
Furthermore, the council reminded all parties that impersonation of a candidate is a criminal offence under Section 31 of the Examination Act – punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of Ksh 2 million.
Looking ahead, KNEC plans to pilot a staggered upload system for 2026, giving schools a two‑week grace period after the initial deadline, provided they submit a documented connectivity issue.
Key Facts
- Fine: Ksh 500 per student for late Grade 9 KJSEA project uploads.
- Deadlines: July 31 2025 (Grades 3‑8) and August 30 2025 (Grade 9).
- Stakeholders: KNEC, Ministry of Education, 26,399 schools.
- Registered learners: ~2 million for 2025 KJSEA.
- Assessment window: October 27 – November 6, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will the Ksh 500 fine be collected?
The fine will be added to the school’s existing financial statements and collected through the Ministry’s quarterly settlement process. Schools receive an electronic invoice within 48 hours of the missed deadline.
What support is available for schools with poor internet connectivity?
Both the Ministry of Education and NGOs like the Education Access Trust are rolling out portable Wi‑Fi hubs and satellite links to high‑need districts. Schools can apply for a connectivity grant by submitting a documented need assessment before July 15.
Will the fine affect students’ final KJSEA results?
The penalty is financial, not academic. However, if a school’s project scores never enter the national moderation pool, those learners could receive a zero for that component, which would lower their overall KJSEA grade.
What happens if a school repeatedly misses the deadline?
Repeated non‑compliance may trigger a formal audit by KNEC and could result in additional sanctions, including temporary suspension of the school’s ability to sit for national assessments.
Are there any exemptions for schools facing extreme challenges?
The current circular lists no exemptions. Schools must submit a written request for compassionate consideration to the County Director of Education, but approval is rare and contingent on documented proof of unavoidable circumstances.
Daisy Pimentel
October 14, 2025The imposition of a Ksh 500 fine per pupil reads like a moral test for a system that already claims to champion equity. If we truly care about education, we must ask whether penalizing the most vulnerable is ever justified. It feels like a convenience fee for bureaucracy rather than a genuine deterrent. Moreover, the silence on rural connectivity betrays a deeper hypocrisy in the policy. In short, we’re rewarding negligence with a price tag and blaming the poor for it.