Omtatah Demands KNEC Review Over Alleged KCSE Sign Language Grading Irregularities
In a letter addressed to KNEC, the senator argued that KSL was excluded from the final grade computation for some candidates after the examination process, without prior notice or a clear legal basis. He said the move violated principles of fairness, equality and inclusivity
By : Mweru Mbugua
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has challenged the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to recall and recompute the results of candidates who sat the Kenya Sign Language (KSL) paper in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, citing alleged inconsistencies in grading
In a letter addressed to KNEC, the senator argued that KSL was excluded from the final grade computation for some candidates after the examination process, without prior notice or a clear legal basis. He said the move violated principles of fairness, equality and inclusivity
Omtatah claimed there is evidence showing disparities in how KSL results were treated,
However, for non-hearing-impaired candidates, the KSL scores were allegedly omitted from the final aggregate results
The senator maintained that the decision contravened existing examination guidelines, pointing out that KSL is classified as a technical subject under Category 5 of the 8-4-4 curriculum. Category 5 is one of the five elective subject groups available at secondary school level
He has now demanded that KNEC, within seven days, provide the total number of candidates nationwide whose 2025 KCSE results were affected by the alleged inconsistent grading of KSL
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He also wants the Council to recall and recompute the results of all affected candidates, factoring in KSL scores as a technical subject for hearing candidates in line with the subject’s categorisation and past practice
Omtatah further called for the immediate issuance of a clear policy directive to confirm that current Form Three and Form Four students will have KSL graded according to its established category, without discrimination
Additionally, the legislator recommended the suspension of the registration process for the 2026 KCSE examinations until the matter is fully resolved
He has warned that he will take legal action against KNEC if his demands are not addressed within the stipulated seven-day period
