Secondary school heads in Kisumu County have welcomed the government’s new policy directing that, beginning next year, all KCPE and KCSE certificates will be collected from sub-county education offices rather than from individual schools.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday during the annual Kisumu County Heads Prayer Day held at Tom Mboya Labour College, Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) Kisumu County Chairperson George Opiyo said the principals fully support the directive, noting that most unclaimed certificates are due to students’ failure to collect them, not because schools have withheld them.
“Certificates of students will now be picked from sub-counties. It is a government policy, and we can’t go against it,” said Opiyo. “The certificates in question are not withheld but uncollected, in some cases, even people who sat for exams in the 1970s have not come for theirs. We have no problem with the policy; we have welcomed it.”
The government announced the new measure to curb the practice of schools retaining certificates over unpaid fees and to ensure that all learners can access their academic documents without hindrance. The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will dispatch the certificates directly to sub-county offices for distribution.
Opiyo, who also serves as an examination centre manager, said this year’s prayer day aimed to thank God for the peace Kisumu schools have enjoyed throughout the academic year and to seek divine protection for candidates sitting their national exams starting October 21, with rehearsals set for October 17.
“This is our second annual prayer session. We thank God for the peace He has given us and pray for good health and calm as our students prepare for exams. Last year, after prayers, we had no exam irregularities or cancellations,” he said.
He further urged parents to ignore peddlers of fake exam papers, warning that those falling victim are often students who were irregular in attendance.
“We want to discourage those who sell fake papers. Parents should not panic, we have taught the students well. It’s those who missed school who are now anxious,” added Opiyo.
Kisumu Central Sub-county KESSHA Chairperson and Joel Omino High School Principal Richard Nyayal echoed the sentiment, attributing the county’s calm academic environment to prayer and proper discipline management.
“Kisumu County is peaceful. While neighbouring regions experienced school fires, our trained deputy principals have maintained discipline. Sadly, we lost a few students this year, so this prayer day helps us seek God’s protection during exams,” Nyayal said.
Rose Omondi, the Principal of AIC Obwolo Secondary School and KESSHA County Chaplain, said this year’s theme — “The Lord is Our Shepherd” — reflects the spiritual duty principals have toward their students.
“As principals, we are not just administrators but shepherds. The children we teach represent families, and what we do must touch their lives,” Omondi noted.
The Kisumu County Heads Prayer Day is now an annual event meant to foster unity, peace, and spiritual guidance among school leaders, teachers, and students ahead of national examinations.
