The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has been thrown into mourning after the sudden death of one of its senior examiners at a Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) marking centre in Machakos.
In a statement released on Monday, November 24, 2025, KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Njengere confirmed that Mr. Nicodemus Mutua Mutuku, a team leader in the Creative Arts and Sports paper, passed away earlier in the morning at the Machakos Girls High School marking centre.
Mr. Mutuku had been actively involved in the KJSEA marking exercise since it kicked off on November 7, 2025, and was described as a diligent and dependable team leader.
According to KNEC, the late examiner was a long-serving and highly respected teacher at Nduluni Junior School in Makindu Sub-County, Makueni County. Before the roll-out of the Competency Based Education (CBE) curriculum, he worked as a KCPE examiner for many years, earning a reputation as one of the most experienced and committed professionals in Kenya’s assessment ecosystem.
“He was an experienced, diligent teacher and we have, indeed, lost a gem,” Dr. Njengere said, extending condolences to Mr. Mutuku’s family, colleagues, friends, and the broader examiner fraternity.
His death marks a heavy blow to the national marking exercise, coming at a crucial moment as KNEC races to complete the first phase of KJSEA evaluations under the new curriculum framework.
The council assured examiners and the public that it stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and will continue providing support as investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death proceed.
Mr. Mutuku is remembered as a dedicated educator whose legacy spans decades of shaping Kenya’s academic landscape—both in the classroom and in the national examinations process.
Leave a Reply