The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has rolled out smart digital padlocks in 250 examination storage containers across the country as part of new measures to curb exam malpractice and enhance transparency during the 2025 exams.
Speaking on Monday during the official launch of the examinations, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the new padlocks being piloted for the first time are directly linked to the KNEC Command Centre, allowing officials to monitor, in real time, whenever a container is opened or sealed.
“These locks are connected to the KNEC national command centre, enabling real-time tracking of the exact time each container is opened and closed ” Ogamba stated.
The CS added that all personnel involved in the administration of exams including Centre Managers, Supervisors, Invigilators, and Security Officers will be required to surrender their mobile phones upon receiving examination materials.
The phones will be securely stored to prevent unauthorized communication during the exam period.
Ogamba further clarified that the National Police Service will continue overseeing the security of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
To promote fairness and eliminate bias in marking, the ministry has also introduced personalized examination papers bearing each candidate’s name and a unique random number.
Students will write their answers directly in the question booklets. Once exams are completed, the identification section will be detached and packed separately before marking.
The KCSE exam papers will be collected twice a day; at 7:00 a.m. for morning sessions and 12:30 p.m. for afternoon papers.
KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Njengere said the initiative aims to modernize the council’s examination storage and monitoring systems in line with the KNEC Act of 2012. If the pilot succeeds, the smart lock system will be extended to the remaining 392 containers nationwide.
The initiative is part of a wider set of reforms by KNEC to seal loopholes in the examination process and strengthen integrity within the national assessment framework.
This year also marks the first-ever national assessment for Grade Nine learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
A total of 3,424,836 candidates were registered for this year’s national assessments 996,978 for KCSE, 1,298,089 for KPSEA, 1,130,669 for KJSEA, 2,414 for KILEA, and 1,479 for KPLEA.