2026 Academic Year Calendar: School Resumption & Examination Dates
The Kenya Ministry of Education through cabinet secretary, Julius Migos Ogamba has released the academic calendar for the year 2026.
The calendar covers the pre-primary, primary, junior, senior, and secondary school levels.
According to the circular released, Term I will begin on January 5, 2026. The first term will run for 13 weeks, during which there will be a five-day mid-term break scheduled from February 25 to March 1, 2026. Term I will officially end on April 2, 2026, after which the term holidays will commence. The holidays will run from April 7 to April 24, 2026, giving students three weeks to rest and prepare for the next academic term.
Term II will begin shortly after the holidays. The term will run one week longer than Term I, lasting 14 weeks, from April 27 to July 31, 2026. The Term II holidays will begin on August 3 and end on August 21, 2026, making it a three-week break.
The final term, Term III, will run from August 24 to October 23, 2026. This will be the shortest term, lasting nine weeks.
National Examinations
The examination dates for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA), and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) are tabulated below, showing the commencement dates and duration of each examination.
| Examination | Start Date | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| KPSEA (Kenya Primary School Education Assessment) |
October 26, 2026 | 5 days | Both examinations begin on the same date |
| KILEA (Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment) |
October 26, 2026 | 5 days | |
| KJSEA (Kenya Junior School Education Assessment) |
October 26, 2026 | 7 days | Both examinations begin on the same date |
| KPLEA (Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment) |
October 26, 2026 | 7 days | |
| KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) |
November 2, 2026 | 3 weeks (November 2–20, 2026) |
The end of year 10 weeks holidays will begin October 26, until January 1, 2027.
Capitation Funds Released
The Government has released Ksh. 44.25 billion for Term 1, 2026, allocated as follows:
| Education Level | Capitation Amount (Term 1, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Free Primary Education | Ksh. 3.70 billion |
| Free Day Junior School Education | Ksh. 14.46 billion |
| Free Day Secondary Education | Ksh. 26.08 billion |
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