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) examination, citing alleged inconsistencies in the grading process.
In a formal letter to the examinations body, Omtatah argued that KSL was excluded from the final grade computation for some candidates after the examination had been administered, without prior notice or a clear legal basis. He said the move undermined principles of fairness, transparency, and inclusivity in the national examinations system.
According to the senator, evidence indicates that KNEC applied different grading standards to candidates. He claimed that for hearing-impaired learners, KSL was treated as a compulsory language subject alongside English and Kiswahili, while for non-hearing-impaired candidates, KSL scores were excluded from the overall aggregate.
Omtatah maintained that the alleged adjustment contravened established examination guidelines, noting that Kenya Sign Language is classified as a technical subject under Category Five of the 8-4-4 curriculum. Category Five comprises one of the five elective subject groupings available to secondary school candidates.
He has demanded that KNEC, within seven days, disclose the total number of candidates nationwide whose 2025 KCSE results were affected by the disputed treatment of KSL. He is also calling for the immediate recall and recomputation of all affected results, with KSL marks appropriately included for hearing candidates in line with the subject’s official categorisation and past practice.
In addition, Omtatah wants KNEC to issue a clear policy directive confirming that, for current Form Three and Form Four students, KSL will continue to be graded according to its established category without discrimination.
The senator further recommended that registration for the 2026 KCSE examination be suspended until the issue is fully resolved. He warned that he would pursue legal action if KNEC fails to address his demands within the stipulated seven-day period.
