George Magoha, the Education Cabinet Secretary has ordered all schools to be closed on Tuesday, August 2, to allow the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to prepare and conduct the August 9 General Election.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 1, Magoha directed that all students from all basic education institutions should proceed on their half-term break effective Tuesday, August 2, noting that the the break would end on Thursday, August 11 when learning resumes for the second part of the term.
Through this statement, the Cabinet Secretary affirmed that the directive superseded the prior communication where the Ministry had set August 6, as the stipulated date for closure for half-term break.
"As you are all aware, Kenya is scheduled to conduct its National Elections on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Therefore, following further consultations, I hereby convey the Government's decision on the immediate closure of all Basic Education institutions with effect from Tuesday, August 2, 2022, until Wednesday, August 10, 2022, to ensure that preparations and conduct of the upcoming elections is carried out seamlessly…" Magoha noted.
With this early closure, parents would see to it that they pick up their children from schools and host them during the break. This academic year consists of four national exams; Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), and Grade Three and Six exams under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
To stay on track with their preparation for the final exams, KCPE candidates can utilize EduOnline, the trusted online learning partner to access self-marking quizzes and revision papers with answers as well as numerous composition and insha samples by creating a free account.
While the Cabinet Secretary was optimistic that there would not be a need for a repeat election, he was alive to the fact that should it happen, there would be need for discussions and consultations among stakeholders in the sector to determine a course of action for each candidate class based on time lost.