The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has issued a clarification regarding the delays in accessing the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results through its online portal. In a statement released on Thursday, January 9, KNEC assured Kenyans that the portal was fully operational, attributing the delays to an overwhelming number of simultaneous access requests.
According to KNEC, the portal experienced up to 300,000 hits per second, causing minor disruptions in providing timely feedback. “We urge Kenyans to be patient and assure them that everyone will be able to access their results,” the council noted.
Earlier in the day, parents and students expressed confusion and frustration after they were unable to access the much-anticipated results. The situation reportedly arose shortly after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos announced the results and provided instructions for retrieval.
While addressing the nation, CS Migos outlined that the results would be accessible through the secure online portal results.knec.ac.ke, requiring candidates to input their index numbers and one registered name. Additionally, he advised candidates facing challenges to contact KNEC via toll-free numbers for assistance.
Despite the clarity of these instructions, technical hitches on the portal left many unable to retrieve their results, fueling public frustration. Numerous Kenyans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, with calls for KNEC to rectify the situation swiftly.
The technical issues were not limited to individual candidates. Schools also reported difficulties in retrieving results for their students. Speaking to Citizen TV, the principal of Kereri Girls High School noted that accessing results took an unusually long time.
“From the time we requested the results, there have been hitches. However, for the few students whose results we have retrieved, we’ve seen grades like A- and B. We hope the network will be restored soon,” the principal stated.
The government’s decision to transition from the traditional SMS-based system to an online portal was first implemented during the release of the 2023 KCSE results. The change was introduced to address complaints about fake results being disseminated via SMS.
However, the new system has not been without challenges. Similar technical difficulties were observed during the 2023 KCSE results release, raising concerns about KNEC’s capacity to handle high traffic during peak demand.
This year’s KCSE saw a record 962,512 candidates sit for the examinations, an increase from 899,453 candidates in 2023. However, the results were not without controversy, as KNEC reported 840 cases of examination irregularities, leading to the cancellation of the respective candidates’ results.
Despite these issues, the release of results has highlighted strong performances across several schools, with notable grades such as A- and B being reported early.
The recurring issues with the online portal underline the need for KNEC to bolster its digital infrastructure. While the shift to an online system has addressed some security concerns, it has also exposed the system’s vulnerability to high traffic demands.
KNEC must prioritize enhancing the portal’s capacity to ensure a seamless experience for candidates in future examinations. In the meantime, the council has urged patience as they work to address the current challenges, reassuring the public that all candidates will eventually access their results.
The 2024 KCSE results release serves as a reminder of the critical role of robust technology in modern education and the need for continuous improvements to meet growing demands.
