The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has confirmed the death of Nicodemus Mutua Mutuku, an examiner who was participating in the marking of the concluded Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
In a statement dated Monday, November 24, KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njegere stated that until his demise, Mutuku was a dedicated teacher at Nduluni Junior School in Makindu Sub-County, Makueni County.
He revealed that Mutuku died on Monday morning while at Machakos Girls High School, where he was a team leader in the Creative Arts and Sports paper.
The KJSEA marking exercise began on November 7, and KNEC CEO Njegere stated that Mutuku had been actively and diligently performing his duties as a team leader since then.
Before the transition to the Competency-Based Education (CBE), Nicodemus Mutua served as a KNEC examiner of the now-defunct Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) for several years.
According to the press statement, Mutuku was a well-behaved and hardworking teacher who was dedicated to his work.
“He was an experienced, diligent teacher and we have, indeed, lost a gem.”
KNEC concluded by extending their deepest sympathies and condolences to Nicholas Mutuku’s family, friends, loved ones, and fellow examiners.
KJSEA Marking
The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) for Grade 9 learners ended on November 3, where 1,130,669 candidates sat for the examination.
Marking began at designated centres, where multiple-choice papers were marked electronically while open-ended responses underwent manual review by trained examiners
Results will be officially released on 11 December 2025 and will be accessible via the KNEC portal, the SMS shortcode, and printed slips from schools.
The grading system spans eight achievement levels (AL1–AL8), with final placement determined by a weighted score: KJSEA (60%), School-Based Assessment (20%), and KPSEA (20%).
Senior school placement will conclude before Christmas, with learners reporting to Grade 10 on 12 January 2026.
Death Benefits for Kenyan Teachers
Teachers’ benefits are administered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Pensions Department under the National Treasury.
Teachers serving on permanent and pensionable terms are entitled to a one-off lump sum equivalent to two years’ salary, paid to the legal representative or dependents.
They are also entitled to a quick relief of Ksh 300,000, ideally disbursed within 48–72 hours to cover funeral costs.
The dependents of the teacher are also pensioned upon their death, with monthly payments for the spouse and children under 18, especially if the teacher died while in active service.
While these benefits are meant to ease the burden on families, processing often takes months or even years due to documentation errors or succession disputes.
For teachers contracted by KNEC as examiners, there is no official death benefit scheme beyond payment for marking work.
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Examiners rely on their own insurance or employer benefits for major risks.
Ongoing Marking of National Examinations
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) is the main national examination under active marking.
The papers were completed on 21 November, and marking began immediately at 40 secured centres across the country.
Over 32,000 examiners have been deployed under strict integrity protocols, including bans on electronic devices and social media to prevent leaks.
The results are expected to be released in January 2026.
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418 candidates were, however, flagged for engaging in examination malpractices during the KCSE 2025 administration, with the offences ranging from impersonation, possession of mobile phones, collusion, to leaking of papers.
KNEC stated that this is a somewhat positive sign, as it represents a drop from the 614 cases recorded in 2024.
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