The Ministry of Education has officially released the academic calendar for the 2026 academic year, outlining school term dates and national examination schedules for Basic Education Institutions and Diploma Teachers Training Colleges (DTTCs).

The comprehensive calendar is contained in a circular signed by Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok and copied to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) and the Council of Governors.

The circular has been dispatched to all regional, county and sub-county directors of education.

According to the schedule, Basic Education Institutions—covering pre-primary, primary, junior, senior and secondary schools—will open for the 2026 academic year on January 5, 2026.

Term I will run for 13 weeks, closing on April 2, 2026. Learners will have a five-day half-term break from February 25 to March 1, 2026. This will be followed by a three-week April holiday running from April 7 to April 24, 2026.

Term II is scheduled to last 14 weeks, opening on April 27 and closing on July 31, 2026. A second half-term break will take place between June 24 and June 28. Schools will then close for the August holiday, which will run for three weeks and end on August 21.

Term III, the shortest term, will run for nine weeks from August 24 to October 23, 2026.

The circular also confirmed the dates for all major national examinations. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) will run for five days starting October 26, 2026. The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will also begin on October 26 and run for seven days.

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination will be conducted over three weeks, from November 2 to November 20, 2026.

Following the completion of examinations, students will proceed for the long end-of-year holiday. The December break will last 10 weeks, running from October 26, 2026, to January 1, 2027.

Diploma Teachers Training Colleges will follow a similar academic schedule. However, their third term will be longer, lasting 11 weeks and ending on November 6, 2026. DTTCs will begin their December holiday on November 9.

The Ministry also reiterated an existing restriction affecting secondary schools. The circular states that activities and visits to secondary schools during the third term of 2026 remain prohibited, in line with earlier directives.

The academic calendar applies to all institutions of basic education across the country.

A recent audit has raised serious concerns over the financial and operational stability of the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation (JKF), warning that the state agency’s worsening position could threaten its scholarship programmes, including support for more than 14,000 learners under the World Bank-funded Elimu Scholarship Programme.

According to the Auditor General’s report, JKF is sliding toward insolvency, with accumulated losses reaching Ksh934 million as of June 2025. Although the foundation’s annual net loss reduced to Ksh167 million from Ksh303 million the previous year, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu cautioned that the improvement is insufficient to halt the erosion of JKF’s net worth or restore its ability to meet financial obligations.

The audit shows a sharply weakened working capital position, with current liabilities standing at Ksh779 million against current assets of just Ksh207 million. This leaves JKF with a negative working capital of Ksh571.6 million, a situation the Auditor General warned undermines day-to-day operations and heightens the risk of default, litigation and further financial strain.

Management attributed the downturn largely to the collapse of the foundation’s publishing business, historically its main revenue source. Policy changes that opened the textbook market to private publishers, combined with the shift to the Competency-Based Curriculum, left JKF with obsolete stock and minimal government orders.

As a result, publishing income plunged by 79 per cent, from Ksh117 million to Ksh25 million, forcing the foundation to compete almost exclusively in the limited private schools market. “Lack of any government orders meant that the public schools segment was largely locked out for Jomo Kenyatta Foundation,” JKF chairperson Rose Waruhiu noted in the annual report.

The uncertainty facing the foundation has been compounded by broader reforms in the education and parastatal sectors. A presidential task force has proposed transferring scholarship administration to a new Kenya Basic Education Bursary and Scholarship Council, a move that could strip JKF of a core function. At the same time, JKF has been listed among state agencies earmarked for dissolution under ongoing parastatal reforms, further clouding its future.

The audit also uncovered significant compliance and financial management weaknesses. JKF had Ksh99.4 million in unremitted statutory deductions, including PAYE, NSSF, NHIF and pension contributions, exposing the foundation to penalties, interest and possible legal action. Outstanding bills stood at Ksh737 million, with Ksh548 million overdue for more than a year, a backlog the Auditor General warned could trigger litigation and additional losses.

Additional control gaps were flagged, including missed quarterly stock counts that cast doubt on Ksh31 million in reported inventory, failure to meet employment requirements for persons with disabilities, instances of staff receiving net pay below legal thresholds, unexplained adjustments to payables, errors in cash flow statements, and misstatements in grant disclosures.

Taken together, the findings point to deep-seated weaknesses in governance, internal controls and financial reporting, raising urgent questions about JKF’s ability to sustain its operations and protect critical education support programmes unless decisive corrective measures are taken.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has stated that preliminary findings into the death of former Cabinet minister and veteran politician Cyrus Jirongo indicate that the incident was a road traffic accident, with no evidence so far suggesting foul play.

In a statement issued on Monday, the DCI said Jirongo died on the night of December 13, 2025, at the Karai area along the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway. Investigators were deployed immediately after the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.

“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) wishes to update the public on the ongoing investigations into the tragic death of Hon. Cyrus Jirongo,” the statement read, adding that a multi-agency team was constituted to handle the case.

According to the DCI, the team comprised homicide detectives, experts from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, and forensic specialists from the National Forensic Laboratory. The investigators visited and processed the scene, secured and preserved exhibits, and documented physical evidence.

Detectives also recovered CCTV footage from an Egol petrol station near the scene, which is currently undergoing forensic review. In addition, the bus manifest and amateur videos captured at the scene were obtained and subjected to detailed analysis.

As part of the investigations, statements were recorded from several key witnesses, including Jirongo’s widow, Ann Lanoi Pertet, who was the first family member contacted after the incident. Statements were also taken from the driver and conductor of the Climax bus involved in the accident, as well as staff at the nearby petrol station.

The DCI further disclosed that senior politicians Moses Wetang’ula, Rebman Malala and Ibrahim Sambul—who had interacted with Jirongo at Karen Oasis restaurant on the evening of December 12, 2025—voluntarily recorded statements to assist investigators.

Seven passengers from the bus also presented themselves to record statements, while detectives questioned Julius Kiprotich Chelule, the driver of an alleged rescue bus with registration number KCU 573A.

“Based on the evidence gathered and analysed to date, the incident appears to be a road traffic accident, with no indications of foul play,” the DCI said.

The agency noted that once the remaining investigative processes are concluded, the file will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for further directions, including the possibility of criminal charges against the PSV driver in line with the available evidence.

The DCI extended its condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Hon. Cyrus Jirongo and urged the public and political leaders to refrain from speculation that could prejudice the investigations or cause public anxiety. It also encouraged anyone with information that could assist the probe to come forward, reiterating its commitment to impartial, thorough and expeditious investigations in accordance with the law.

At least nine people were killed in a tragic road accident early Monday morning after a bus collided with a matatu at the Karai area of Naivasha along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru highway.

According to police, the crash occurred at around 2 a.m. on Monday, January 5, involving a bus travelling from Nakuru to Nairobi and a 14-seater matatu heading in the opposite direction. Seven people, including two minors, died on the spot, while two others later succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in hospital.

Several passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to Naivasha District Hospital, where some remain admitted. Police said investigations have been launched to establish the exact cause of the accident.

The Karai section of the highway has previously been identified by authorities as a high-risk accident zone, with multiple safety campaigns conducted to warn motorists to exercise caution.

Police further revealed that the Karai crash contributed to a total of 18 fatalities recorded in road accidents between Sunday and Monday morning. The victims included passengers, pedestrians, drivers, a motorcycle rider and a pedal cyclist.

During the same period, at least 59 other people were injured in separate road crashes across the country. Those injured included passengers, riders, drivers, pillion passengers and a pedestrian, all of whom were taken to various hospitals for treatment.

The latest tragedy comes just days after six people were killed in another accident along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway at the Kikopey area in Gilgil, where a trailer collided with a matatu. In a separate incident reported on Friday, January 2, six passengers lost their lives along Mombasa Road at Katumani near Konza City after a bus rammed into a matatu, leaving seven others critically injured.

Authorities have once again urged motorists to observe traffic rules and exercise caution on the roads, warning that road accidents remain a major public safety concern despite ongoing awareness campaigns by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). Police said investigations into the recent accidents are ongoing.

President William Ruto has hinted at the formation of a political alliance with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party as part of efforts to secure his re-election in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Friday at Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay Town, where he presided over the Genowa Governor’s Cup—an annual sports tournament organised by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga—President Ruto said discussions were already underway to establish a new political alliance that would form the next government.

The President urged ODM leaders to strengthen their party to enable it to become a formidable political force, even as he reaffirmed his commitment to consolidating his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party and the wider Kenya Kwanza coalition.

“I tell members of ODM to be ready. On our side as UDA and Kenya Kwanza, we are also ready. Let us strategise and join hands in forming a government that will make Kenya a first-world country,” Ruto said.

Ruto also took aim at his political opponents, urging them to abandon campaigns rooted in hostility and instead focus on development-oriented agendas that address the needs of ordinary Kenyans.

“I tell my opponents to tell Kenyans their agenda. Let them stop campaigning based on abstract issues which cannot add value in the lives of Kenyans,” he said.

He added that voters would not be swayed by superficial considerations, arguing that leadership should be judged on tangible development outcomes rather than appearances or rhetoric.

“Some of those who are vying for the presidency have worked in government for 40 years yet they have done nothing for Kenyans. We don’t want unnecessary side shows in the name of campaigns,” Ruto noted.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna were among ODM leaders present, alongside ODM veteran Oburu Odinga, who assured the President of the party’s commitment to cooperation within the broad-based government framework.

“As ODM, we will work in the broad-based government until 2027 to support President Ruto,” Oburu said.

Governor Gladys Wanga, however, used the occasion to criticise former President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of attempting to destabilise the ODM party.

“I tell our former President to stop sending machinery to destroy ODM. We collaborated with him in the handshake government, but he never gave us the development projects the current government is delivering in our region,” Wanga said.

The remarks underscore the shifting political dynamics ahead of the 2027 polls, with signals of possible realignments that could reshape Kenya’s political landscape.