MoE 2026 School Calendar—Pre-Primary ‎| Primary ‎| Secondary

The Ministry of Education has officially released the "Official" calendar for the 2025 Academic year. It is essential to mention that this specific press release specifically targets pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools and teacher-training institutions. In this article, we will guide you more about everything you need to know, from term dates to exam periods; we've got you covered.

Let us now get started.

Below is the 2025 Term dates for Basic Education Institutions.

Quick takeaway

• The Ministry of Education has issued the official 2026 academic calendar for all basic education institutions and Diploma Teacher Training Colleges (DTTCs). The circular was signed by Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius K. Bitok and circulated to national and county education leadership.
• Schools open for Term 1 on Monday, January 5, 2026. KCSE examinations are set for early November 2026. Several national assessments for lower levels begin in late October. See the full table below.

Why this matters to you

If you teach in Kenya — or administer or run a school — this calendar sets the rhythm for lesson planning, assessments, CPD, marking windows and parent communication across 2026. The dates also lock in when major national assessments will happen, so this is the framework you’ll want to load into your school management system and term planners now.

At-a-glance calendar (summary table Format 1)

Here is the 2026 calendar data presented in a way that’s easy to understand:

2026 Kenya Academic Calendar – Basic Education Institutions

Term	Start Date	End Date	Duration	Half-Term Break	Holiday
Term 1	Monday, Jan 5	Thursday, Apr 2	13 weeks	Wed Feb 25 – Sun Mar 1 (5 days)	Tue Apr 7 – Fri Apr 24 (3 weeks)
Term 2	Monday, Apr 27	Friday, Jul 31	14 weeks	Wed Jun 24 – Sun Jun 28 (5 days)	Mon Aug 3 – Fri Aug 21 (3 weeks)
Term 3	Monday, Aug 24	Friday, Oct 23	9 weeks	N/A	Begins Oct 26

Key Examination Dates:

• National Assessments (KPSEA, KILEA, KJSEA, etc.): Commencing around Monday, October 26, 2026.
• Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE): Monday, November 2 – Friday, November 20, 2026.
• December Holiday: Monday, October 26, 2026 – Sunday, January 3, 2027 (10 weeks)

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2026 Diploma Teacher Training Colleges (DTTC) Academic Calendar

Term	Start Date	End Date	Duration	Holiday
Term 1	Tuesday, Jan 6	Thursday, Apr 2	13 weeks	See April Holiday
Term 2	Monday, Apr 27	Friday, Jul 31	14 weeks	See August Holiday
Term 3	Monday, Aug 24	Friday, Nov 6	11 weeks	Begins Nov 7

Key Dates for DTTCs:

• DTTC Holiday: Saturday, November 7, 2026 – Friday, January 3, 2027 (Approx. 7 weeks, adjusted for KCSE overlap)

At-a-glance calendar (summary table Format 2)

Event	Basic education (pre-primary → secondary)	Diploma Teacher Training Colleges (DTTC)
Term 1 — start	Monday, 5 January 2026	Tuesday, 6 January 2026
Term 1 — end / duration	Thursday, 2 April 2026 (13 weeks)	Thursday, 2 April 2026 (13 weeks)
Term 1 — mid-term break	Wed 25 Feb — Sun 1 Mar 2026 (5 days)	— (follow same pattern where applicable)
April holiday	Tue 7 April — Fri 24 April 2026 (3 weeks)	Tue 7 April — Fri 24 April 2026 (3 weeks)
Term 2 — start / end	Monday, 27 April — Friday, 31 July 2026 (14 weeks)	Monday, 27 April — Friday, 31 July 2026 (14 weeks)
Term 2 — half-term break	Wed 24 June — Sun 28 June 2026 (5 days)	same
August holiday	Mon 3 August — Fri 21 August 2026 (3 weeks)	Mon 3 August — Fri 21 August 2026 (3 weeks)
Term 3 — start / end	Monday, 24 August — Friday, 23 October 2026 (9 weeks)	Monday, 24 August — Friday, 6 November 2026 (11 weeks) — DTTCs run longer Term 3
National assessments/exams	Assessments begin around 26 October 2026 (KPSEA, KILEA, KJSEA, etc.); KCSE: 2 Nov — 20 Nov 2026	DTTC Term 3 ends 6 Nov; holiday starts 9 Nov (DTTCs)
End-of-year / December holiday	Long holiday scheduled from around 26 October 2026 through 1 January 2027 (10 weeks for basic education)	DTTC December holiday: 9 Nov 2026 — 1 Jan 2027 (approx.) (the-star.co.ke)

Term by term breakdown (what to pencil into your planner)

Term 1 (Jan 5 — Apr 2, 2026)

• First day for learners in basic education is Monday, January 5, 2026; DTTCs open a day later on Tuesday, January 6. The first term runs 13 teaching weeks and includes a five-day mid-term break (25 Feb — 1 Mar). The April holiday follows, giving a three-week gap before Term 2 begins. These fixed windows are your best chance to schedule internal assessments, staff induction days, and targeted remedial plans.

Term 2 (Apr 27 — Jul 31, 2026)

• Term 2 is the longest block (approximately 14 weeks). There’s a five-day mid-term break (24 Jun — 28 Jun) and a three-week August holiday (3 Aug — 21 Aug). Use the extra runway in Term 2 for curriculum catch-up and larger enrichment activities that won’t be possible during the exam-focused Term 3.

Term 3 and national assessments (Aug 24 — Oct 23, assessments late Oct / Nov)

• Term 3 is shortest for basic education (9 weeks, 24 Aug — 23 Oct), with national assessments rolling out soon after. Most national-level assessments under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) schedule begin on or around 26 October 2026; KCSE is scheduled for 2 — 20 November 2026. DTTCs run Term 3 longer, ending in early November and then moving into their holiday period. These are the weeks for concentrated exam practice, candidate briefs and pre-exam logistics.

Policy reminder: visits and activities

• The Ministry has maintained a prohibition on external activities and visits to secondary schools during Term 3 2026 — the same restriction issued previously to protect exam environments and reduce disruption. Heads should plan awarding days, AGMs, and visits in Terms 1 or 2.

How teachers and school leaders can turn dates into a practical plan (a simple, honest checklist)

• Update your school calendar now: export the key dates into your MIS and staff shared calendars.
• Re-sequence the syllabus: map out unit coverage so core content finishes at least two weeks before national assessments.
• Plan assessments around mid-term breaks: use the five-day half-terms for quick diagnostic tests and progress reports (so parents get timely info).
• Reserve CPD and staff meetings during April and August holidays for larger training days; use half-term breaks for short catch-ups and marking windows.
• Safeguard candidates: no external visits or non-essential activities in Term 3; inform parents and partners early.

Practical classroom tips (small changes that add up)

• Spread mock exams across Term 2 so students are not testing-heavy in the final weeks.
• Use the April break to submit coursework moderation packs and to tidy up records (it’s less busy than the December end-of-year rush).
• Keep a shared “exam logistics” folder for exam day rosters, invigilation lists and emergency contacts — DTTC schedules differ slightly, so coordinate with nearby colleges if you share resources.